In the graves were found bodies of children of original inhabitants of the region, who were ‘re-educated’ under harsh conditions. The photo shows red dresses attached to wooden crosses. The light comes in low, while in the background the beginning of a rainbow can be seen in a dark sky. Jury chair Rena Effendi noted in the jury report that you could “hear the silence in the photo, a snapshot of colonial history coming to an end, not just in Canada, but around the world.”
Bracken took the photo on behalf of The New York Times† The competition was about the news photos from 2021. It is striking that this is a winning photo without any direct human presence. Last year’s World Press Photo was won by Danish photojournalist Mads Nissen with a close, but protected, embrace in corona time.
New setup
Bracken’s photo is the first winner according to the new rules of the photo competition. Old categories have given way to a more regional set-up, with local juries supplying the first nominees per region. The photo of the graves wins the main prize of the competition, in addition there are winners in new categories.
The World Press Photo Story was won by Matthew Abbott for the Saving Forests with Fire series about how the Nawarddeken, a community in West Arnhem Land in Australia, use ancient techniques to fight forest fires in their habitat.
The annual prize for the best long-term project also focuses on the relationship between the land and its original inhabitants. Under the title Amazonian Dystopia, Brazilian photographer Lalo de Almeida follows the alarmingly rapid degradation of the Amazon region, including the habitat of 350 different communities.
The multimedia award is now called Open Format and went to Blood Is a Seeda film by Isadora Romero from Ecuador, in which she goes in search of the agricultural traditions in her native region.
The new church
The winners were chosen from 64,823 entries, by 4,066 photographers from 130 countries. The World Press Photo exhibition opens April 15 at De Nieuwe Kerk in Amsterdam, followed by shows at 66 locations in 29 countries.