Italian photojournalist wins with an image from Iran
The World Press Photo 2010 exhibition recently arrived in London. Once again it’s a strong show, with work reflecting all aspects of photojournalism.
Pieto Masturzo’s image from Iran won the top prize. It’s a subtle piece of journalism — an image of women shouting their dissent from a rooftop in Tehran following the disputed presidential election in June 2009.
Another image from the same wave of protest was awarded a rare special mention (for an image recorded by an onlooker rather than a professional journalist). The image is a still from the now iconic video of Neda Agha Soltan’s death at the hands of the Basij militia — the Iranian paramilitary. Will the competition’s rules change in the future as more images by bystanders are published in the media?
It was interesting to see the mysteriously named JR’s shot of his images plastered on the roof of a train passing through Kibera in Nairobi, Kenya. The close-up shots of eyes of African women are part of the activist and photographer’s ‘Women are Heroes’ project, aimed at highlighting women’s pivotal role in society. JR’s team have also produced a short trailer introducing the project. In addition to the World Press Photo award, JR received a TED prize for the same work.
The travelling exhibition runs from the 12th November to the 5th December 2010 in the Southbank Centre, London. Afterwards it moves on to Brussels, Belgium then nine other international destinations.