"For the presidency of the jury of this 30th anniversary, we called on a reference, Don Mc Cullin. For us, this is an honor, a great photographer who has covered the biggest conflicts on the planet," said Patrick Gomont, Mayor of Bayeux.
Awarded the British Press Award in 1961 for his coverage of the construction of the Berlin Wall, the World Press Photo in 1964 for the emerging Cypriot intercommunal conflict, Don McCullin photographed all the conflicts of his time: Vietnam, Cambodia, Congo, Israel, Biafra, Northern Ireland, Lebanon, Iran... Not to mention the misery in which he grew up every time he returned home.
The one who said he had "always directed his goal towards those defenseless in the face of their condition, their society" will celebrate his 88th birthday during the week of the Bayeux Prize.
"This 30th edition comes after a record year 2022: 11,600 visitors for the exhibition on Mariupol, 1,200 spectators for the evening on women in Afghanistan," Gomont said.
The call for applications was launched on Friday. "Photo, radio, television and print media reports dealing with a conflict situation or a current event concerning the defense of freedoms and democracy must be sent before June 6 for the 2023 selection," the statement said. "They must have been carried out between 1 June 2022 and 31 May 2023 and each compete for an endowment of €7,000."
The president of the Calvados department, co-organizer of the event, Jean-Léonce Dupont, expressed his concerns: "At the launch of the Prize after the 50th anniversary of the landing in 1994, we thought that Europe was at peace and that it was sustainable, we changed eras."
"The continent today is hit by a very hard conflict, is war the interval between two moments of peace or peace an interval between two wars?" he asked.
Syrian photographer Sameer al-Doumy in front of his photos during the "Visa pour l'Image" festival, on September 2, 2021 in Perpignan © RAYMOND ROIG / AFP/Archives
Other events of the week, the AFP meetings with the Syrian photographer Sameer al-Doumy.
In addition, college students, under the sponsorship of the Magnum agency, will create from scratch a magazine on a conflict and the Battle of Normandy.
© 2023 AFP