Ba Kuang

JORIS IVENS AWARD

A remote valley, near Datong in ShanXi province. In this poor region, working in the mine is virtually the only way of earning a living, despite the very harsh work conditions. The days are long and harassing. The coaldust-filled atmosphere is black, the tunnels are black and, at the end of the shift before the bath, the tired unwashed faces are also black.