pigeon Keepers

The keeping of pigeons has always been a component of Iranian culture. Pigeons, which in the past were a source of natural fertilizer used for agriculture and horticulture, had a special place among domestic animals in Iran, to the extent that killing them was considered a crime.

Despite the lack of respect for towards the traditional Iranian pigeon keeper, The custom remains to this day, and pigeon racing has become one of the most public entertainment events throughout the middle and less educated classes. The game, which is dedicated exclusively to men, has become widespread in most of Iran’s cities, to the extent that the purchase and sale of pigeons and their food and accessories have created a lot of jobs.

Also, betting, which is one of the most exciting of events is the pigeon race. There are a lot of enthusiasts despite religious and social prohibitions in Iran. Although competitions are being advertised, organized and held secretly, the number of contestants and viewers is very high. The strong and often extreme passion for pigeon keeping cannot be easily explained. Those who have an addictive love for keeping pigeons, sometimes spend all their assets and livelihood on their birds.

Pigeon breeders, who in the past were mostly from the lower echelons of society, are today wealthy people who sometimes possess more than 2,000 pigeons. Zolfaghar, who has More than 2,500 pigeons will spend about $50,000 a year to keep them healthy and trained for the race.

When we think about flight; the path taken by humanity to achieve such dreams, its history and its attempt to go to the sky comes to mind. This series portrays the story of such people, for whom their flying birds replace their dream of conquering the air.