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People & Culture
During the morning commute, drivers switch on the radio and listen to the latest news featuring natural disasters, conflicts and bombings. After the radio is switched off, the day goes on as usual.
But life does not go on so easily in some countries.
Through photography, we’re transported to places where things aren’t easy and that reality is brought to life.
The World Press Photo 14, a new photo exhibition of striking images from around the globe, opens today at the Canadian War Museum, which launched the exhibit with the World Press Photo Foundation. The photos make viewers feel like they are right in the action.
“This year’s exhibition touches on so many important themes,” says Micha Bruinvels, contest manager at the World Press Photo Foundation.
The award-winning images have great impact. They show survivors from Typhoon Haiyan, casualties from the Rana Plaza collapse and chaos from the Boston Marathon bombing, adding a real-life element to what is otherwise indescribable.
The captured moments may not be glorious, but they evoke emotion and tell a story. Bruinvels says they have the power to move people.
“There are things you hear a lot about, but you don’t see,” he says as he looks at the portraits of a family household of domestic violence. He hopes the images will get people thinking, discussing and ultimately helping.
But the mood of the exhibition isn’t all gloomy. Some images show the inside of a house in Gaza, West Bank, where a group of girls try on dresses for a school dance. Bruinvels says sometimes photographs can bring you somewhere you’ve never seen and contradict what you hear in the news.
The collection of photos has been chosen from this year’s World Press Photo competition. There were almost 6,000 entries from 132 different countries. A jury awarded prizes in nine categories, including general news, daily life, nature and sport.
The exhibition runs at the Canadian War Museum until Aug. 21. It will be at four other Canadian venues on an international tour.
Although Canada is the first of 45 countries to host the exhibition, it’s the first time since 2006 that a Canadian photographer did not win in any of the categories.
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