SECOND PLACE WINNER - Open Category: Photojournalism / Story (AMATEUR)
Living in Solitude
Photo © Manel Quiros
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Her name was Reena.
It did not matter that she was only twelve, nor did it matter that all she wanted was to survive the streets of Chittagong in Bangladesh, after being thrown out by her stepfather. All that mattered was that she had a body men would pay for. The trap was easy enough; she was desperate for a job and met a lady who promised her a job selling garments in Dhaka. She never made it to Dhaka. She was taken to Banishanta Island instead, sold to a Madame, and there they took her name and like so many before her, took her innocence and made her a faceless, nameless statistic deprived of money, honour and freedom.
Banishanta – a small riverbank village in Mongla, southern Bangladesh, populated by women who ‘do not exist,’ many in their young teenage years, who never imagined themselves destined to a life as sex slaves. Sold, kidnapped or coerced, most are unregistered at birth and possess no passport or document with which to identify them. A fact which makes it nearly impossible for them to leave the island in search of a better life even after have given their all and are no longer of value to their Madame. Their only solace, in the end is to retreat into their own imaginary world, where they wish to find at least some form of protection. Drugs and alcohol are part of the daily routine as a means to escape the pain of their existence.
The girls are isolated in Banishanta, so they are forced to learn to live in each other’s company – they form friendships and ‘families.’ But this is all a make – believe front for their sanity. In truth every girl lives alone.
Over these years my passion for documentary photography, got me selected as a finalist in PHotoEspaña ’14, in the section “Descubrimientos”, and made me a finalist for the “Premio Combat Prize” '14, Italy. I was Juror's Winner in "The Documentary Photograph" competition and exhibition held by SE Centre for Photography, South Carolina, United States, 2016. Winner in the International Portrait Photography Award "Shoot the Face" 2016. And also I got an Honorable mention in the category of Photojournalism/Story at International Photographer of The Year (iPOTY) 2015. It has also taken me to various European countries and Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Egypt, India, Bangladesh, Thailand and Cambodia. Working as a freelance photographer has had a big influence on my life because I know that pushing myself and exceeding the limits is essential in gaining knowledge and achieving my aspirations.
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Her name was Reena.
It did not matter that she was only twelve, nor did it matter that all she wanted was to survive the streets of Chittagong in Bangladesh, after being thrown out by her stepfather. All that mattered was that she had a body men would pay for. The trap was easy enough; she was desperate for a job and met a lady who promised her a job selling garments in Dhaka. She never made it to Dhaka. She was taken to Banishanta Island instead, sold to a Madame, and there they took her name and like so many before her, took her innocence and made her a faceless, nameless statistic deprived of money, honour and freedom.
Banishanta – a small riverbank village in Mongla, southern Bangladesh, populated by women who ‘do not exist,’ many in their young teenage years, who never imagined themselves destined to a life as sex slaves. Sold, kidnapped or coerced, most are unregistered at birth and possess no passport or document with which to identify them. A fact which makes it nearly impossible for them to leave the island in search of a better life even after have given their all and are no longer of value to their Madame. Their only solace, in the end is to retreat into their own imaginary world, where they wish to find at least some form of protection. Drugs and alcohol are part of the daily routine as a means to escape the pain of their existence.
The girls are isolated in Banishanta, so they are forced to learn to live in each other’s company – they form friendships and ‘families.’ But this is all a make – believe front for their sanity. In truth every girl lives alone.
About author:
My name is Manel Quiros (1984), a Spanish photographer from Barcelona. I have been established in Edinburgh (Scotland) since 2010. The main reason I came to Edinburgh was to pursue my passion in documentary photography, to learn more about different disciplines, new language and to develop my creative thinking within the field. My work is primarily concerned with communication and I deploy a broad range of approaches in its execution. I am particularly interested in combining photography and journalism to communicate the message of the piece to a specific audience. It is for that reason I studied photography in Spain. And Media, Communication and Photojournalism in Edinburgh and Glasgow to further my knowledge and understanding, also learning English.Over these years my passion for documentary photography, got me selected as a finalist in PHotoEspaña ’14, in the section “Descubrimientos”, and made me a finalist for the “Premio Combat Prize” '14, Italy. I was Juror's Winner in "The Documentary Photograph" competition and exhibition held by SE Centre for Photography, South Carolina, United States, 2016. Winner in the International Portrait Photography Award "Shoot the Face" 2016. And also I got an Honorable mention in the category of Photojournalism/Story at International Photographer of The Year (iPOTY) 2015. It has also taken me to various European countries and Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Egypt, India, Bangladesh, Thailand and Cambodia. Working as a freelance photographer has had a big influence on my life because I know that pushing myself and exceeding the limits is essential in gaining knowledge and achieving my aspirations.
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