Torajan Ma'Nene Ceremony

• Prize
  Gold in Editorial/Photo Essay
• Photographer
  Matt Sims
• Technical Info
  Nikon Z7 Digital Capture.
• Photo Date
  August 22, 2023

On the island of Sulawesi, tourists are finding their way to the remote mountains of the Tana Toraja region to see the unique ways Torajan people deal with death. In the Ma'Nene ceremony bodies of deceased loved ones are removed from coffins, aired out, and cleaned before being put back. The Torajan people perform these duties with a lighthearted mood and are exceptionally patient with curious visitors in spite of the growing number of tourists who merely want to see and possibly take a selfie with a dead body. For me, any images needed to show the relationship the living have with the dead.