Live and Die in Smoke

• Prize
  Honorable Mention
• Photographer
  Eliane Band, Brazil

This series portrays the daily life of the resilient Koli community in Gujarat, India, who produce charcoal using ancestral methods. Amid scorching heat, toxic smoke, and thorn-laden Babul trees, they endure harsh conditions with strength, unity, and dignity. With no infrastructure or safety, their craft is both life and survival. This work is a tribute to their courage, endurance, and kindness.