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Samuel Aranda for The New York Times via Reuters
A woman holding a wounded relative during protests in Sanaa, Yemen, on October 15, 2011.
The international jury of the 55th annual World Press Photo Contest announced Friday that it had selected a picture by Samuel Aranda as the World Press Photo of the Year 2011.
Samuel Aranda / EPA, file
An undated self portrait by photographer Samuel Aranda.
Jurors said the photo of a veiled woman holding a wounded relative in her arms after a demonstration in Yemen captured multiple facets of the "Arab Spring" uprisings across the Middle
The winning photo was selected from 101,254 images submitted by 5,247 photographers from 124 countries.
Aranda, a freelance photographer from Spain, traveled to Yemen on assignment for The New York Times. In December he gave an interview to the newspaper about the difficulties of working in Yemen—and the warmth of its people.
"What I would really like is for this photo to help the people of Yemen," he told The British Journal of Photography after learning of the award. "I think it's a country that is often forgotten."
Jury chair Aidan Sullivan said: "The winning photo shows a poignant, compassionate moment, the human consequence of an enormous event, an event that is still going on. We might never know who this woman is, cradling an injured relative, but together they become a living image of the courage of ordinary people that helped create an important chapter in the history of the Middle East."
Vincent Boisot / AP
View the award winning images selected by World Press Photo.
Leave a Comment:
Beautiful, touching photo. I knew this photograph would bring out some of the worst Americans have to offer. Once again The ignorant few uphold the moniker of "Ugly Americans". All you ignorant bigots can go ahead and lambaste me now. Show more of your hate.
i feel pity seing some people comment like they know everything...
Don't use your country standart on other country..
reminder, islam only tell women to use veil... it's to protect/prevent them from bad things... like sexual abuse..
but burka is the tradition in the middle east... so please be objective...
don't use Hatred when see something like this...
*for the picture : behind the burka, they still a human being... sadly most people missunderstood...
I think this picture is soooo powerful. It shows us that although women are not valued and appreciated in the middle east, they are STRONG, and it is amazing how you don't even have to see her facial expressions to feel her emotions. Amazing.
I absolutely agree with you.
Out of 101,000 photos, this is the best? Cram Islam down peoples throats much? Give that photographer Nobel Peace prize if you want. I'm not feeling anything but violated. Maybe it's just that I can think of an amazing planet with so many amazing things and places, that this garbage doesn't move me.
agreed....... much better photos that should have won
I have photo's of my daughter falling off her tricycle that are more powerful. But she's not trying to cut anyones head off, or wearing a burqa, so who cares. LOL
If she were holding a wounded relative, why would she wear rubber gloves?
This picture is striking to me because it is humanizing. Even in a burka you can see the woman in this picture. You can see her pain, compassion, and strength.
You can also tell she likes Celebrity Apprentice, is left handed, has brown eyes, a slight limp, needs to write a relative soon, and has small mole on her back; but still a smile on her face.
It's interesting how some folks jump right on the fact that the woman is wearing a Burka, how women in that part of the country are only good for breeding and obeying a man. Is that much different from our early Colonial forebears, when it was quoted from the Bible that women must be silent, if they want to know something to ask husbands? How women must shun adornment? Hell, you still see and hear things like that in our rural areas.
the difference being we have evolved from our colonial period. They haven't.
How can they give an award for a photo that is so obviously staged?
Take my love, take my land, take me where I can not stand. I don't care, I'm still free. You can't take the sky from me.
Damn lucky she wasn't wearing blue gloves.
I understand Islam now. Who'd want to give rights to women? They might vote with them or something. Look what it has done to America. We get candidates knowingly pandering to the emotions of the female and it works with extreme effectiveness. Obama anyone?
im gonna go ahead and ignore all the extremely ignorant comments about her veil and just say this: the picture is real and moving. you can almost, almost feel the hurt and the simultaneous need to be patient...
I see nothing poignant or compassionate in this photo. I see only a masked face, gloved hands and what could just as easily be someone choking this man to death as much as it could be a woman clutching a fallen relative. Show your face! Show your soul! Life is about reciprocity. Until you are willing to give me a clue about what and who you are, I have nothing to feel about you.
you folks should get out once in a while and speak to people face to face. It's enjoyable
wonderful moving tender picture
I am totally missing what makes this a winner. I have seen better daily. It seems to me more like pro-muslim propaganda to me.
I see ignorance and subjugation. Nothing to celebrate in the image, only to pity.
Congratulation to Mr Samuel Aranda for his photo to win the 2011 photo of the year. This picture was for a Yemeni mother holding her wounded son during October 2011 Protest.... her name Fatime holding her son name is Zayed. According to the interview published by Online Yemeni News called marebpress.net ...the mother was happy that she found her son alive after the police and regime forcess attacked the protestors. She learnd that her picture with her son was a winner for 2011 best photo. By the way for those readers who said her look is pity is because the women in some Arabic countries wear cloths like this as tradition in these countries...this is another link for her and her son in different picture in Arabic..
I find it hard to believe that this was awarded as Best Picture. Just shows how drastic cuts to the Arts is already surfacing in the judging ranks !
Well said Kevin MC !
I think there are better photos that should have won instead of this one.......
Just love the photo