What Do We Really Dream Of?

What dreams do we carry within us, even if we have never spoken them out loud? How many of them were born from a lack of love, safety, freedom, or a sense of meaning? And how many are attempts to soothe loss or come to terms with unfulfillment?

At midlife, do we dare to dream differently—more truthfully, without the need to impress? This project combines documentary photography with interviews with women from different countries, cultures, social backgrounds, and professions who at middle age take stock of their past. The protagonists speak about failures, crises, and successes, but above all about dreams that have been fulfilled, postponed, and those that may be unattainable.

Their desires are diverse: from cosmetic surgery to a journey on the Orient Express and high-altitude climbing, to exploring a cave in Oman or dreaming of peace and a world without wars. The project also includes the voices of incarcerated women, who share dreams such as returning to loved ones, reconciling with their families, or experiencing simple moments of freedom.

Małgorzata Smieszek

Małgorzata Smieszek (born 1973) is a Polish photographer and documentarian. She is a graduate of the Art High School in Olsztyn, the University of Warmia and Mazury in Olsztyn, and the Warsaw School of Photography. Smieszek participated in documentary workshops led by Mariusz Forecki at the Pix. House Foundation in Poznań. As an honorary member of the Rotary Club, she has been actively involved in supporting Ukraine since the beginning of the aggression against the country.

For her commitment and work, she received the "Excellence in service to humanity" statue in 2023, in line with the Rotary motto "Service Above Self". She is the recipient of the Krzysztof Miller Award for the courage to look (2021), a finalist in competitions: Grand Press Photo (2022) in the People category, Slovak Press Photo (2023) for her documentary photograph The Price of Patriotism. She was also recognized in the International Photography Awards (IPA) (2023) in the People category. She is the author of the series Red Zone (about loneliness in COVID wards) and It Happens (about the work of rescue teams). Her documentary photographs make people reflect on various aspects of life, focusing mainly on existential issues related to loneliness, freedom, fear of the future, and the search for meaning in life.