Tonlé Sap

• Prize
  Bronze in Press/General News
• Photographer
  Shukri Zali, Malaysia
• Date of Photograph
  December 2024
• Website
  https://www.instagram.com/shukrizali_archive/
• Instagram
  https://www.instagram.com/shukrizali_archive/

A look into life around Tonlé Sap which means 'Fresh River' or 'Great Lake'. The lake belongs to the Mekong River system and it is the largest freshwater lake in Southeast Asia and one of the most diverse and productive ecosystems in the world, designated as a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO in 1997 due to its high biodiversity.

Today’s Cambodia’s identity could be considered as deeply rooted in its Khmer culture and Buddhist traditions ( Theravada Buddhism, predominantly ).Their constitution enshrined the said religion as the official religion of the country.

Shukri Zali is a Malaysian documentary photographer and graphic designer working between Southeast Asia and France. Since 2004, his long-term project La Marche de l’humanité / Humanity in Motion has traced ordinary lives, cultural memory, faith, labour and human continuity across borders. His black-and-white practice moves between authorial documentary, humanist photojournalism and the visual essay. Recognised by PX3 Paris and IPA, Sūtradhāra and The Earth Remembers Through Us were published by FotoDoc Festival in 2026, while Free Malaysia Today profiled his practice.

Awards 2025 — Bronze Medal, Photoreportage, Prix de la Photographie Paris (PX3)

2025 — Nominee, Photojournalism, Black & White Spider Awards, 20th Edition

2024 — 3rd Place and Official Selection, Photoreportage, International Photography Awards (IPA)

2024 — Official Selections, IPA: Everyday Tranquility; Peace Through My Eyes

2023 — Honourable Mentions, Budapest International Foto Awards: Sugbo; Les Champs-Élysées

2023 — Honourable Mention, Prix de la Photographie Paris (PX3)

2022 — Honourable Mention, Prix de la Photographie Paris (PX3)

2009 — 3rd Place, Prix de la Photographie Paris (PX3)