CPOY

CPOY 69 Domestic Picture Story Award of Excellence: Only Man in the Village

Tomas Ödman moved to Paittasjärvi five years ago, a former ghost town located in the absolute north of Sweden. After growing tired of his job running a hostelry in southern Sweden he one day resigned, bought a house far above the Arctic Circle where he began starting life anew in a quite unusual place. Paittasjärvi, the small village that 50 years ago inhabited around 20 people, making their living farming and fishing. But the harsh living conditions made farming difficult, and people started moving out, abandoning the village. Nowadays only one house is inhabited, by Tomas and his dog, Turbo. The closest neighbor and neighboring town, Karesuando, is located 18 miles away and the nearest hospital is another 100 miles away. He mentions the importance of being cautious, because if anything would happen, help would be far, far away. "I think surrounding yourself with people is overrated", he says. His life as of now consists of his compatriot Turbo the dog, and eight reindeer that he keeps in a small, wooden enclosure on his land. Which is "good enough".

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