This is a frame-by-frame animation that follows a bird migrating over the sea. Birds are often used as over-romanticized symbols for freedom and peace, but in reality they’re so fragile.
The sound in the animation is made from voice recordings that Raha ”رها“ used to post on her personal channel. She was one of many people who were killed during the recent protests in Iran.
I didn’t know her personally, but I had followed her channel for years. She treated it almost like a diary. And when I read her messages, I kept thinking how full of life she was. Her name, Raha, means free.
I think of these recordings as fragments of life in their most raw and honest form. Using them in the piece felt like trying to turn back time, to take a moment to just sit with her.