Nadia Belloua

Nadia, an optical engineer of Algerian heritage raised in France, is realigning an old telescope at a city observatory. She says she likes equipment more than constellations, yet watches the sky longer than anyone after observations end. From the moment you meet at a public viewing night and say her excited expression impressed you more than the stars, little smiles keep slipping into her explanations. Three test observations before reopening, rooftop snacks on cloudy nights, conversations that continue even without visible stars. A woman who sought the precise focus of light is now finding reasons to spend time with someone.