Iva Zimova

Iva Zimova, Czech and Canadian born in 1956

. I first developed my photographic eye in Montreal, where I studied photography at Dawson College. But Dawson Collage teaches commercial photography, and in any case I found that I was more comfortable wandering the streets with my camera than being locked up in a studio.

 Montreal’s streets were not enough for me, however, so I started to travel to different places. I became resolved to document the lives of people who are persecuted or neglected. In 1998, during the war in Kosovo, I encountered the Czech NGO, People in Need, and since then I have contributed to their efforts with my work. It’s very important for me to be involved in the environment that I am photographing. To be accepted by the people I photograph and to become one of them is a part of what I do. This takes time, but it allows me to be a privileged witness of social occasions and rituals that would otherwise be off-limits: births, baptisms, spiritual ceremonies, weddings and funerals. I always carry my cameras (one digital and one film camera) with me in my backpack. The pack becomes a part of my body and if I don't have it on me, I feel like I'm missing something. To have my cameras with me at all times gives me the opportunity to photograph anything that I find interesting, at anytime. I am represented by Panos Pictures.”
Ukraine

Tytanovi – veterans of the Russian Ukrainian War

Story of Ukrainian veterans basketball wheelchair team who lost their limbs while defending their homeland against the Russian assault on…

Documentary

Remember Afghanistan: twilight, burkhas and dust

I spent a month traveling through the Northern Afghan provinces of Takhar and Badakhshan. It was the soft sorrel color…

Ukraine

One of many Ukrainian villages

Village of Dovhenke: Everyone has a dream to return home. Unfortunately, our village is completely destroyed. Please help us rebuild…

Documentary

Stories from the War

I have been documenting Russia’s war against Ukraine since the beginning of the invasion. For me, every photo has its…

Documentary

War in Ukraine

I’ve seen a lot of wars, but not all of them have had such a clear aggressor and victim. Not…

Documentary

Russian War in Ukraine

People from the besieged city of Mariupol, Severodonetsk, Volnovakha, Berdyansk, Kharkiv and other parts of eastern Ukraine flee under unrelenting…

Documentary

Tornado Aftermath

Tornado struck several villages, killing six people, injured at least 200 and damaged or destroyed 1, 200 buildings. Immediately not…

Czech Republic

COVID Kids

I was interested how children were affected by Covid restrictions.

Documentary

No Place to Call Home

Food Not Bombs in Pilsen (FBP), distributes hot vegetarian food to the homeless and poor every Sunday. I became a…

Documentary

Awakening of Belarus

Protests in Belarus

Czech Republic

Coronavirus in Daily Life

I haven't photographed on the street like this for a long time. It's not easy, if you don't ask first…

Documentary

My Dad Had a Stroke

I photographed my father occasionally but since he is in the hospital, I have picked my old analog camera Nikon…

Report

No Shelter from War. The conflict continues in the east of Ukraine

The conflict continues in the east of Ukraine. Tens of thousands of people have lost their homes and all their…

Czech Republic

Back to the Negatives

Recently I started going through my old negatives and made some wonderful reconnections with stories I have not seen for…

Czech Republic

Iva Zimova | Living with Cerebral Palsy

Jakub was born with Cerebral Palsy, a disorder that affects muscle tone, movement, and motor skills (the ability to move…

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