5/ Bepar (Hop)

2019
By Gazelle Samizay and Labkhand Olfatmanesh
Duration: 6:00 min.
Recommended by Aziz Sohail

How does this work investigate “hope?”
This video shows that there is hope despite the limitations imposed by family, patriarchy or government. The main character revisits previous traumas, but ultimately leaves her past behind, moving toward an open future. As an artwork, it is a testament to how creativity can transform trauma.

About the work:
Employing the common cultural reference of hopscotch (named ‘lay lay’ in Iran and ‘joz baazi’ in Afghanistan), the artists explore the universal struggles that girls face as they grow into adulthood. The character relives the personal and political moments of her past, such as war, marriage, generational trauma, and gendered social expectations. The particularities of their experiences as women of Afghan and Iranian heritage fed the artists’ collaboration, though Gazelle Samizay grew up in the US and Labkhand Olfatmanesh grew up in Iran, allowing them to create a universal story rooted in specific cultural intersections.