Maltese Fashion Duo Recreate Famous Disney Movies With A Dark Twist
Disney’s heartwarming stories all have notoriously dark backgrounds that were left out of the movies seeing as terrorising children isn’t exactly high on their list of priorities. But when photographer Gary Bugeja and stylist Malcolm Gauci reinterpreted these classic movies to highlight certain social issues, the stories got even more twisted.
The power-duo’s exhibition, TMIEM, may have ended, but their hope is that their work will remain a reminder of the empowerment it sought to bring about.
“Some of these issues are really close to heart, we have lived and are still living them ourselves – so it’s a very personal project.”
1. Snow White
Theme: Prostitution
Prostitution, and with it the subtext of human trafficking, isn’t an issue that is openly discussed in Malta. But it is a very real problem that we face. Snow White’s scene features seven men, one scared woman, and the ever-growing temptation from the apple – the very same temptation that will inevitably bring about her downfall.
2. Sleeping Beauty
Theme: Homophobia
Inspired by the horrifying events of the Orlando gay club (and the terrifying tweets about the victims getting what was coming to them), the Sleeping Beauty snap contrasts the eternal beauty of youth with the terrible fate of an endless sleep.
3. Queen of Hearts
Theme: Abortion
Alice in Wonderland’s main antagonist ties into this ever-growing debate quite neatly with one simple question: is she a villain, or a victim? Everyone is quick to interpret the world through their bias, and even quicker to slap on a label without giving the issue much thought.
4. The Evil Queen
Theme: Obsession with Social Media
Selfie, selfie on my wall, who is the fairest of them all? Our obsession with likes is very real.
The internet has made communication incredibly easy, and we’re not going to pretend that it’s ruined a generation (sorry baby boomers, but it hasn’t). However the darker side to social media, the online bullying, the obsession with leading like-lives as opposed to real ones, is a problem we face.