It is Only Sound That Remains: Some Reflections

In a candle lit reception hall at Baha’i centre in downtown Montreal about fifty of us gathered in an intimate setting to listen to “It is Only Sound that remains”; a powerful and sensitive account of life of Ziba Kazemi and of those who were deeply touched by her life and death.

The event, co-sponsored and co-produced by Montreal Life Stories Project, COHD, Kazemi Foundation, and Vivacite Montreal was initially performed on April 2011 at Concordia University and will be staged for a third time next Thursday September 29th at the same location.

‘It is Only Sound That Remains’ is foremost a performance through sound: The sounds assembled from kazemi’s archival footage, recorded voices and interviews with Stephan Kazemi, enriched with soundscapes, and Persian music, and of course performing artists’ voices…. Read the rest of this entry »


Ziba Kazemi: Celebrating her life to remember injustice

Ziba Kazemi, an Iranian-Canadian photojournalist, was murdered by the Islamic Regime of Iran in 2003 while in custody. She was arrested on charges of taking pictures of prisoners’ families who had gathered outside the notorious Evin prison. Ziba was born in Shiraz in 1949 and spent most of her life in France and Canada. She resided in Montreal with her only child, Stephan , who was in his early 20s at the time of his mother’s death. The circumstances of Ziba’s brutal death at the hands of Islamic regime, her courage in confronting the officials, and her family’s five-year battle in launching a law suit against the government of Iran brought international recognition and support – including from organizations such as Canadian Centre for International Justice and Amnesty International, and the worldwide media attention to her case – albeit sparingly.

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Hot From the Oven: A flourishing, talented artist

Hot From the Oven: A flourishing, talented artist:

mehrab moghadasian photography

 

 


TamTams Festival: A photo report

Ever Sunday afternoon all summer long, at Parc du Mont Royal, right at Sir George-Etienne Cartier, there is People’s Tam Tam festival and much more going on. Do not miss it if you ever come to Montreal!  See more pictures below. Read the rest of this entry »


Jean Paul Gaultier @ Montreal’s Fine Arts Museum

The Fashion World of Jean Paul Gaultier, Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, June-October, 2011 http://www.mbam.qc.ca/en/expositions/exposition_153.html

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World Humanitarian Day

World Humanitarian Day is a celebration of “people helping people” ‘If I Could Change’ ft. Ziggy Marley (Official): An inspiring and powerful music and video, With Salman Ahmed (Junoon guitarist from Pakistan), The duo, Sweet Rush, are sisters from Somalia.


Fierté Montréal Pride: VIVA Montreal!

For a big selection of this amazing parade in Montreal, please go to my flicker account.


Shiraz “bagh-e safa”

Shiraz, the city of gardens–excerpts from my book 

A wide range of flowers and herbs are distilled in Iran, mainly but not solely in the province of Fars, to produce an aromatic soft-drink commonly referred to in the plural, as “araghi-yaat.”

It was during the months of April and May that I often walked past baagh-e safa (the “pure heart” garden that housed the old distillery workshops) as it provided the city with its araghi-yaat consumption needs. Baagh-e safa remains, to date, the main supplier of floral and herbal extracts for retailers and individual customers alike and one of the main sources of printed knowledge about the process.    Read the rest of this entry »


Divers/Cité: VIVA Montreal!

25-31 July, downtown Montreal

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