The World Press Photo Exhibition 2021 opens in Hanoi

Jenna Duong

Dec 20, 2021 / 09:02 PM

The pictures honor all who suffered throughout this crisis; those who spent months in fear and isolation; the people who lost their family members, jobs, and homes; the 5.3 million who died from this virus.”

The outstanding award-winning photos are on display at the public area around the monument of Determined to Brave Death for the Survival of the Fatherland in Le Thai To Street, Hoan Kiem Lake until December 26.

It is the fourth consecutive year the event is organized by the Netherlands Embassy in Hanoi. People are invited to come, see and engage in discussion about stories told by the photos eliminating the boundaries of culture and language.

“The First Embrace” by Mads Nissen/ Politiken/ Panos Pictures

“Together with long-lasting and trusted partners, the Netherlands Embassy once again had the opportunity to introduce to Hanoians “Stories that matter” happening around the world in 2021 visual journalism,” a representative of the embassy stated.

Winners of the World Press Photo Contest were chosen by an independent jury that reviewed more than 74,470 photographs submitted by 4,315 photographers from 130 countries.

The photo entitled “The First Embrace” by Mads Nissen, Denmark was crowned as “the photograph of the year” by the jury.

According to Mads, this was a story about hope and love in the most difficult times.

“To me, the pictures honor all who suffered throughout this crisis; those who spent months in fear and isolation; the people who lost their family members, jobs, and homes; the 5.3 million who died from this virus,” he stated.

The image captured one of the most special moments of the pandemic, in which Rosa Luzia Lunardi, 85, was embraced by nurse Adriana Silva da Costa Souza, at Viva Bem care home, São Paulo, Brazil, on 5 August 2020. This was the first hug Rosa had received in five months. Covid-19 prevented millions of Brazilians from visiting relatives.

In the photo, these two women were embracing each other through a large plastic curtain, which may help them to avoid coronavirus transmission.

The photo is considered as an “iconic image of Covid-19” and “commemorates the most extraordinary moment of our lives, everywhere,” according to juror and photographer Kevin WY Lee.

Founded in 1955, the World Press Photo Foundation is an independent, non-profit organization based in Amsterdam, Netherlands. Since 2011, World Press Photo has organized a separate annual contest for journalistic multimedia productions.

A primary objective of the organization is to support professional photojournalism on a wide international scale through the World Press Photo Academy. It aims to stimulate developments in photojournalism, encourage the transfer of knowledge, help develop high professional standards in visual journalism and promote a free and unrestricted exchange of information.