World Press Photo Award
Into the Shadows
We have a winner! Congratulations Line, Pep and Jose.
http://www.worldpressphoto.org/video/shadows?gallery=4178
Planning a documentary film production in the underworld of Africa’s wealthiest city is not without its challenges. Johannesburg is regarded amongst the world’s most dangerous cities, where there is a thread of violence that runs through people’s lives, often reducing the value of life to a mobile phone or a few extra Rands.
Into the Shadows set out to capture the underworld of the inner city of Johannesburg; the slum buildings and the refugees who sacrifice their lives, their health and their identity to survive.
Many people ask how did you gain access to the slum buildings in the inner city of Johannesburg?
There is only one answer: time and trust.
One needs to spend time in the city, one needs to understand the complexity of the society that resides in the urban slums, and spend time building a network of trusted individuals who can act as guides through the labyrinth of buildings.
There were moments of tension, but in places like Johannesburg, it is the community that protects you, not the police. The community watches your back and helps you interpret and respond to the situation.
The purpose of the film was to expose the injustice of humanity, but also the strength of the human spirit.