Intimacy

The project got started when Marjan returned to her home country of Iran after almost ten years of living in Canada. Migrating to a country far from home bonded her to camera. Upon returning to Iran to pursue her passion in documentary photography, Marjan had the urge to explore the deeper layers of the society which are too deep to reach easily. Iranian society is a complex society of different tribal and ethnical groups. Through the history, the society had to adapt to a new sets of rules and ethics continuously. Traditions on the other hand, always empowered the society. While keeping up with the traditions and the rules through the history, majority of Iranians are not willing to share their private moments which might oppose with the traditions or what is dictated to them.

Exploring the existential aspects of the society in deep, she started to get to know people of all kinds more and more. Gaining their trust to step into their intimate moments of their life, more she got close to the subjects, more she realized the complexity of human being in nature. Their resistance from being seen while their inner willingness of sharing at the same time contracts it. What is seen from outside is a consistent and similar lifestyle, but once the subjects are being explored in their privacy the unique aspect of each could be seen.

Approaching the subjects to explore their loneliness, Marjan intended to follow them as their shadow does, not being noticed but to be present there in one and each step. As she presented herself at their private moments, she was impressed by the quite and calm moments the subjects put themselves into. After what they all deal with during a day, they need moments and that one activity to make their minds of of the daily lives and take them to that intimate and calm state of mind.

Marjan’s main goal is to expose what is happening in the Iranian society beyond the challenges and crisis which are shown regularly. She aimed to get the audience touch the essence of the culture by getting to know one and each individual. She believes that once the society is understood as an individual in their profound moments of their life, we can learn about the issues and crisis happening in a society.