Photo stories at the Red Prison

Photo stories to tell the story behind illegal immigration. That is the main idea of an exhibition by IMCK that was opened on June 20, 2012 by AP photographer Yahya Barzinji, in the Red Prison in Sulaymaniya.

The exhibition was the result of a workshop on photo stories and illegal immigration, organised by IMCK and STATT in Sulaymaniya in May 2012. The participants of the workshop were asked to produce a photo story on the subject. The work of three winners is now to be seen at the exhibition room of the Red Prison.

Yahya Barzinji talked about the importance of photo stories for Kurdish media. It is a form that is not used very much yet, but has the possibility to show often complicated subject in simple pictures.

He offered the price of 500 dollars to the winner, Zmnako Ismaell, who made a photo story about a Kurd who got shot by the border guards when he tried to flee illegally to Iran, which resulted in him loosing a leg.

The runner up was Halwest Azad, who made a black and white photo story about a man who illegally traveled and lived in sixteen countries, before coming back to Kurdistan to be with his children. The third place was given to a story about a mother who hasn't seen her son for over 12 years and up till now has no idea if he is alive or not. Layan Sdiq is the photographer of this photo story.

The jury for the prize was made up of photographers Jamal Penjwini and Soran Naksbendi, as well as Goran Salah for STATT and Martin Turner for IMCK.