Perpignan (AFP)

This is a first for Visa pour l'image: the international photojournalism festival awarded the Visa d'or News on Saturday in Perpignan to a photographer who remained anonymous for security reasons, rewarding his work on the "spring revolution" by Burma.

"When I learned that a coup d'etat had just taken place in Burma on February 1, it was obvious to appeal to him, it is probably the best photographer in the country", indicates to l 'AFP Mikko Takkunen of the New York Times, who came to collect the prize in his place.

"Keeping the anonymity of a photographer is not a decision that we take lightly, and it is always linked to the safety of our employees which is our priority", insists this photo manager for Asia in New York Times who has collaborated with the Burmese photographer for years.

At the ceremony, he added that the winner was dedicating his award to all photographers in Burma who work at risk of their lives.

The powerful photos of the exhibition depict civilians, sometimes "armed" with slingshots, facing soldiers firing live ammunition.

The photographer also focuses on the injured or bereaved families in a country in chaos since the junta overthrew the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi.

The bloody crackdown on pro-democracy protesters has left more than 1,000 dead, including dozens of minors in recent months.

- "Risking his life" -

"Since February 1, I have been in the streets every day. I have encountered many difficulties, having to work in the midst of gunshots, tear gas and stun grenades", explains in a text the Burmese photographer.

"In the field, we stopped wearing our helmets marked + PRESS + when we realized that the military were targeting photographers," he adds, saying he was aware of "risking your life".

The three other nominees were the Greek Angelos Tzortzinis (AFP) for his report on the last days of the refugee camp of Moria, in Lesbos, the American Erin Schaff (The New York Times) for his photographs on the invasion of the Capitol in Washington in January, and finally the Indian Danish Siddiqui (Reuters) for his coverage of the health crisis in his country.

The latter was killed in July while covering fighting between the Taliban and Afghan forces.

In 2020, the festival presented the Visa d'or News, its most prestigious award, to Italian photographer Fabio Bucciarelli for a report in Bergamo, an Italian city at the epicenter of the Covid-19 pandemic.

- Tribute to Salgado -

The year before, it was the Mexican Guillermo Arias (AFP) who had won this prize for his work on the caravans of migrants from Central America trying to reach the United States.

He succeeded the French Véronique de Viguerie for her coverage of the war in Yemen (2018), the Belgian Laurent Van der Stockt (battle of Mosul in 2017) and two AFP photographers, the Greek Aris Messinis (2016) and the Turkish Bulent Kiliç (2015), for their work on the migrant crisis.

During this 33rd edition, the festival wished to pay tribute to the famous Franco-Brazilian photographer Sebastião Salgado, by awarding him the Visa d'or d'honneur from Figaro Magazine.

"It is a great pleasure and honor," said the 77-year-old photographer who has spent his life immortalizing with his lens the condition of the poorest and their degraded environment.

He received the prize in the company of his wife Lélia and with a "standing ovation" from the public.

The Visa d'or Magazine was won by Jérémy Lempin, that of the international daily press went to Asger Ladefoged, the ICRC humanitarian Visa d'or to Antoine Agoudjian, the Visa d'or of digital information France Info has award-winning Tyler Hicks, Julie Turkewitz and Manuela Andreoni.

The Canon de la femme photojournalist scholarship goes to Acacia Johnson, the Pierre and Alexandre Boulat prize went to the work of Mary F. Calvert, the Camille Lepage prize went to Ana Maria Arévalo Gosen and the city of Perpignan Rémi Ochlik prize went to Fatima Shbair.

The 25 festival exhibitions are free and open to the public until September 26.

© 2021 AFP