Gazelle Samizay + Labkhand Olfatmanesh
Bepar
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 Iranian and Afghan heritage fed the filmmakers’ collaboration, though Labkhand Olfatmanesh grew up in Iran, and Gazelle Samizay in the US, allowing them to create a universal story rooted in specific cultural intersections.
About the Artist
Gazelle Samizay’s work has been shown in various platforms including at Whitechapel Gallery, London and the Slamdance Film Festival, Park City, UT. She is currently the artist-in-residence at Craft Contemporary, Los Angeles. Samizay is the recipient of the Princess Grace Experimental Film Honoraria and received her MFA at the University of Arizona.
Labkhand Olfatmanesh’s work has been exhibited at Photo London, UK; Rencontres d’Arles, France; Craft Contemporary, Los Angeles. She is the recipient of the International Photo Award (Lucie Foundation) and the LensCulture Portrait Awards Jurors’ Pick. She also received first place at the Los Angeles Center of Photography’s annual fine art photo exhibit.