Tunnel vision: the cinematic allure of the Moscow Metro

When Israeli photographer Tomer Ifrah stepped foot in the Moscow Metro for the first time, he instantly fell under its spell. “I think it was then that I decided to make it a long-term project,” he says. “I’ve documented life inside the metro for almost three months now.” The Moscow Metro, a feat of Soviet engineering, is a tourist attraction in its own right. While many photographers focus on the architectural splendour of the metro, Ifrah’s work explores the space as a place of social contact and as a cinematic backdrop for everyday interactions. “The unbelievable pace, the unique sound and the atmosphere of the stations fascinated me,” he says. “The artfully designed stations together with passengers’ style of dress reminded me of images of classic films and this is what I was trying to capture.”