Branislav Jankic

"My mother was a good mother. My mother was an alcoholic and pill addict. She lived in Germany, while I made USA my home.When she was diagnosed with lung cancer in November 2012 and the doctors said that she has only a year of the time left, I decided to write her a letter. I wrote her that I love her and that I am not ready to loose her. I wrote her that I'm sorry for all the clashes we had because of her addiction. That I'm sorry that I was ashamed of her and that I'm sorry that I ran away from her when she needed me the most. I wanted her to know that now I understand her. So I went across the USA to find and photograph mothers with addiction and their children.
I have found women in different ages and social background. Some of them were alcoholics, some of them heroin addicts. In themidst of their addictionsmany of themhad disconnected from their children completely. In many cases destroying their childhood. I photographed each mother alone and then I photographed them together with their children. I asked each mother to write a letter to her child and if the child was old enough I asked him too to write a letter to his mother. Many of them were seeking forgiveness. The whole process brought so many tears and revelations.

My mother died in May 2014.
She left a letter for me and my brother, but I never had the guts to give her my letter.

This book is for a mother and for a child. It's a reminder to all of us to never forget that mother is the most sacred deity in life."