Written by: Aiman Javed
Posted on: March 09, 2018 | 
| 中文
2nd Prize in Spot News - Rescued from the Rubble (Aleppo, Syria) by Ameer Alhabi
The World Press Photo Exhibition was launched in the Pakistan National Council of the Arts (PNCA), Islamabad on 5th March, 2018. The exhibition was inaugurated by Ambassador of the Netherlands, H.E. Mrs. Ardi Stoios-Braken, while the curator, Ms. Babette Warendorf, took the visitors on a tour. The pictures had been printed on panaflexes, and arranged in the PNCA grounds.
The exhibition has been organized by the World Press Photo Foundation, which was formed in 1955 in Amsterdam. It showcases the results of the most prestigious annual photography competition in the world. This year, these images were selected from a pool of 80,408 images, by 5,034 photographers, from 126 different countries. The selected photographs, divided into eight categories and three prizes, are considered the best in international visual journalism.
Our visit to the exhibition revealed that an overwhelming number of images captured war, violence, suffering and violation of human and animal rights from around the world, proving that responsible journalists shift the focus to important stories through their work. Be it the war in Syria, government sanctioned killings in Philippines, or terrorism in Pakistan, the exhibition conveys potent stories within seconds.
The world press photo of the year featured the Turkish assassin, Mevlüt Mert Altintas, who killed the Russian Ambassador, Andrey Karlov, as its subject. Burhan Ozbilici’s photograph shows the assassin shouting, with a triumphant expression on his face, and the dead body lying behind him.
In the contemporary issues category, the winning image by Jonathan Bachman shows an Afro-American woman resisting police force, at a protest against police violence on Afro-American men in USA. The calm posture and simple elegance of the woman, sharply contrasts the aggressive body language of the policemen. The winning series, by Amber Bracken, was another tale from USA, covering the protest camps of Sioux people (a Native American tribe.) Their protest was against the development of the Dakota Access Pipeline, which could potentially damage their sacred tribal sites. Other photographs captured for this category showed babies affected by the Zika virus in Brazil, life in the slums of Brazil and the migrant crisis in Greece and Libya.
In the category of daily life, Paula Bronstein captured the plight of Afghani people. Her single shot featured an anguished woman holding her bandaged nephew, as she laments for her niece, who passed away in a bomb blast. Their daily plight hits home, once one notices the other images in this category. Tomas Munita’s winning series captured scenes from daily life in Cuba, after Fidel Castro’s death.
In the general news category, Laurent Van der Stockt’s image captured the terror of a young girl, whose home is being searched by Iraqi Special Forces in Mosul City, Iraq. Meanwhile, Daniel Berehulak captured a series of images of the extra judicial killings in Philippines, after the government’s crackdown on drug traders and addicts. Other stories showed Nigerian children, as well as the war like conditions in Libya.
An image from Pakistan won the first prize in Spot News category. Captured by Jamal Taraqai, the image shows the aftermath of a suicide bomb attack at the Civil Hospital in Quetta, on 8th August, 2016. The strewn bodies, the splashes of blood and the charred walls make for a jarring image, contrasted by the resilient expressions of those helping the injured.
In the people category, Magnus Wennman’s image of a Syrian girl in a refugee camp highlighted the plight of children in war-torn areas. A personal favourite series from the people category showed the joyful residents of Ibi, Spain, who stage a mock military coup each year. The images captured by Antonio Gibotta reveal that the people pelt each other with flour and eggs, and let off firecrackers to celebrate.
In the nature category, Ami Vitale’s series showed the positive tale of pandas in China. Since the government is protecting the natural habitats of pandas, and poaching has been made illegal, pandas are no longer an endangered species. The efforts of the caretakers, who are clothed in panda outfits, are clear from the images. Brent Stirton’s series on rhinoceros hunting in South Africa was an evocative tale of their pain. An underwater shot of a turtle caught in fishing gear, captured by Francis Perez, shed light on the dangers of water pollution, while another interesting image showed a leopard roaming the streets of Mumbai, India.
In the category of sports, Tom Jenkins captured the fall of jockey Nina Carberry from her horse during the Grand National Steeplechase, while Darren Calabrese captured the resilience of Lindsay Hilton, a woman without limbs, who competes in an aggressive fitness competition. Another series focused on a chess tournament for young children in Czech Republic.
In the long-term projects, images had been captured over a number of years. Valery Melnikov focused upon the struggle between Ukraine and Russia for control over the states of Donetsk and Luhansk, and how life in these areas has been affected. The runners up captured different aspects of life in Iran, and life in Table Rock, a small town of Nebraska, USA.
Students of journalism and mass communication could be seen at the exhibition, learning about the stories behind the images. The photographs convey tales of great loss and human suffering, alongside tales of unparalleled courage and compassion, and prove the importance of photography, both as an artistic expression and a medium of information. The exhibition will conclude on 31st March.
Click to view picture gallery
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