La hora del café' by Argentinian Mirta Zozula wins Cenie photography Grand Prize

The Argentinean photographer, Mirta Zozula, with her photograph 'Coffee Time', has won the Grand Prize in the 4th edition of the CENIE Photography Contest. Mirta Zozula acknowledged that the competition subject, which this year was 'Intergenerational relations: source of vitality', "was very interesting for me" and "I began to observe the elderly, their behaviour, their activities, their way of relating to each other and to others". 

Other winners of the competition were Gabriela Trerotola (People category), Jorge López Muñoz (Altered Images category), Isaque Neves (Looks category), Jorge Bacelar (Looks in the Line category), José Luis Morales (Iberian Looks category) and Leonardo Hernández (Mobile category). 

In this new edition of the contest, 384 professional and amateur photographers from 34 countries took part, submitting more than 1,750 photographs. 

The evaluation and selection of the photographs was the responsibility of a prestigious jury made up of Susana Girón, contributing photographer for the New York Times, Stern, CNN, Die Zeit, El País and El Mundo, among others; Hanna Jarzabek, international photojournalist and honourable mention in the Marylin Stafford Fotoreportage Award 2021; Pepe Baeza, editor-in-chief of photography at La Vanguardia Magazine between 1990 and 2015, and graphics editor at El Periódico de Cataluña; José Ayma, chief photographer at El Mundo; José Luis Amores, director of EFTI (International Centre of Photography and Film) and Jorge Salgado, head of studies and general coordinator of EFTI. 

The contest, organised by the International Centre on Ageing, CENIE, has as its main objective to achieve a new artistic and creative look at one of the key factors derived from the continuous growth of intergenerationality: the new long-lived societies, and forms part of the project Programme for a long-lived society, approved within the framework of the INTERREG V-A Programme, Spain-Portugal, POCTEP, 2014-2020, of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).

Category winners

CENIE GRAND PRIZE

"La hora del café" (Coffee time) by Mirta Zozula

The image stands out for the strong emotional charge present in such a simple, everyday moment. Without any artifice, the apparent simplicity of the shot only increases our empathy towards the characters, the place and the story that unfolds. The image manages to convey a positive and honest vision of ageing by combining simplicity and sensitivity.

PEOPLE WINNER

The simplicity of the image attracts us, focusing our gaze on two figures advancing in the sea, slowly, without a single wave and surrounded by bathers in the distance, with a calm and stillness that bewitches us. The whole scene is framed by a large wooden swing, which focuses and attracts us to prevent us from leaving the story.

’Pos pandemia’ by Gabriela Trerotola

ALTERED IMAGES WINNER

The author has succeeded in capturing the passage of time through a traditional formula such as the repetition of the same subject, but applying highly refined digital retouching techniques to show in a subtle but evident and credible way how the model's face is ageing. A clean, concise image, with a direct message and technically very well resolved.

’Generations of the king’ by Jorge López

WINNER LOOKS

It is an image in which many things happen and which presents different levels of reading. Different scenarios can be seen that are actually on a single plane. Strong ironic charge: the advertising communication is intervened by a playful partial staging that contrasts - and thus accentuates its effectiveness - with a brief account of everyday life divided into two scenes.

’Ensaio sobre orquestra dos días’ by Isaque Neves

WINNER LOOKS AT THE STRIP

In this portrait, simple and direct, playing with natural and lateral light, we can see a fascinating image full of tenderness and simplicity. One more proof that less is more in certain images and that the look, the expression and the smile are enough to achieve magnificent results.

’Criando com amor‘ by Jorge Bacelar

WINNER IBERIAN LOOKS

The white light floods the image, standing out among the people in the distance, a woman leaning with her hands clasped together. It is her with her image reflected in the mirror, in complete solitude, finding herself in the fog. An image she carries of silence, tranquillity and calm.

’Recuerdos’ by José Luis Morales

MOBILE WINNER

The photograph stands out not only for its attractive composition and perfect treatment of light and shadow. Beyond the precise aesthetics of the image, it reveals values such as independence, self-management and autonomy of our elders in their daily lives. The image manages to combine aesthetics with emotion and to transport us into the story.

’Gotas’ by Leonardo Hernández