The images of photographer and filmmaker Robin de Puy invite us to look closer at, and listen to, the stories of a cross-section of people who make up one of the world’s most powerful, extreme and divisive countries, at a politically turbulent and poignant time. What are the thoughts, concerns and dreams of the largely unheard people of America?


Through images and words, American captures moments of resilience, vulnerability, humour and heartbreak. Whether it’s the magic shop owner in Michigan still chasing miracles, a young biologist-in-the-making who believes in “killer cats,” or a Sikh family forging their American Dream in Muscoda, Wisconsin, each encounter sheds light on universal human experiences in extraordinary personal contexts.


American is a collection of audio, film and photographic portraits by Dutch photographer and filmmaker Robin de Puy. The series, which comprises 25 episodes, was created in the U.S. between 2022 and 2024.