"Hardship of Life" by Mehmet Aslan won the 2021 Siena Awards. Photo: Mehmet Aslan
A little boy smiles down at his father, who holds him in the air smiling back. It’s a bittersweet moment, as there is hardship on display as well.The father Munzir lost his right leg when a bomb was dropped on a bazaar in Idlib, Syria, as he walked through. His son Mustafa was born without limbs because of a congenital disorder called tetra-amelia, caused by medications his mother Zeynep had to take after being hit by nerve gas during the war in Syria. Mustafa will need special electronic prostheses, which are not yet available in Turkey.The arresting image, “Hardship of Life”, was taken by Turkish photographer Mehmet Aslan in the district of Reyhanli, in the Turkish province of Hatay, at the border with Syria. It is the winner of the title “photo of the year” from this year’s prestigious Siena International Photo Awards. It was selected among tens of thousands of images submitted by photographers from 163 countries. Photojournalist Britta Jachinski, one of the judges of the awards, said, “I have become quite tough over the years in my career, witnessing much suffering and covering deeply disturbing stories. I am emotionally strong but this photo made my heart jump. The sheer horror of their hardship was captured, whilst the photographer pressed the shutter in that decisive moment – one of the most beautiful moments two people can share. When nothing around you matters, the world stands still and all you feel is love and joy.”Here are some more incredible photos from the documentary and photojournalism section of the awards.
Advertisement