1989 was full of groundbreaking events driven by a spirit of hope: students were protesting in China; the Velvet Revolution shook Czechoslovakia; Ceaușescu was ousted in Romania; and the Berlin Wall fell in Germany. Chris Niedenthal visited many of those places. The above photograph, taken in the village of Kąty on June 4, comes from the book 1989: A Year of Hope, in which the photoreporter recalled those extraordinary times.
In the provinces, Niedenthal saw fences plastered with Solidarity posters, but kept his eye out for people to help him depict that crucial day. In front of one house, he captured a scene which later became symbolic. A woman in a flowery skirt carefully cuts an older man’s hair – preparations for his trip to the polling station are in full swing.
'These are the first free elections in my life', the man getting a haircut told the photographer.
The happy hero is pictured in the centre of the frame. The open door and windows of the house in the background set the mood, along with signs of the day’s festivities – a man on the left is holding a badminton racket, and a football lies by the fence. This was no working day; it was a celebration. Niedenthal’s picture manages to convey that atmosphere of joy, openness, and hope for a new beginning.
Originally written in Polish, translated by AG, edited by MB, Dec 2018
