Statement:
Long Term Project: 2017 to 2019
For decades, the Iraq-Iran border has served as a smuggling route, mainly to transport goods to Iran. Every night, hundreds of Koolbars; young Kurds living in west part of Iran cross the border into Iraq. For a few dollars a day, they risk their lives to majorly smuggle cigarettes. Koolbar is a term used by locals in the Kurdish region of Iran to refer to porters and people who illegally carry goods across the border to earn their living.
Due to the lack of job opportunities in this region, most of the people are busy in smuggling goods across the Iraq borders. This area is full of land mines left from Iran-Iraq war and besides life-threatening risks; Border Guard Commands strongly fight with them. They usually earn about 20 dollars in each of their commutes (a 6-hour walking route through the mountain). There is a famous sentence among them, “Border or Center” which means if they don’t smuggle, they have to go the capital city and doing low-ranking jobs far away from their hometown. As a result of such dangerous and excruciating practice, over 154 smugglers (were killed or injured in various incidents in 2016.
Winner of: NVP Images, best workshop project 2018
Winner of the International Fadjr Festival of Iran 2018 in Visual Art Section
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- Kulbars have changed the plastic covers of the smuggling goods in the middle of the journey, and left them in the mountain. The Covers are getting damaged during 3 hours of claiming mountains.
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- Kulbars have to walk around 6 hours for each route. They get very exhausted due to a heavy parcels which they have to carry on their back while moving up and down through the mountains.
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- Kulbars are hiding as the scouting team found out that the Iranian border army waiting for them on the way.
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- A wide search by locals started right after 3 koolbars got stuck in snow storm in the border mountains of Iran and Iraq (Kurdistan Province). Koolbar is a term used by locals in the Kurdish region of Iran to refer to porters and people who illegally carry goods across the border to earn their living. 3 days after the search began, they found the frozen body of 14 year old Farhad Khosravi. and not much further his younger brother 14 year old Farhad Khosravi. First day, Hossein Karami was found alive but unconscious and was taken to the hospital while 18 year old Azad Khosravi; Farhad’s brother found dead close to him.
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- A wide search by locals started right after 3 koolbars got stuck in snow storm in the border mountains of Iran and Iraq (Kurdistan Province). Koolbar is a term used by locals in the Kurdish region of Iran to refer to porters and people who illegally carry goods across the border to earn their living. 3 days after the search began, they found the frozen body of 14 year old Farhad Khosravi. and not much further his younger brother 14 year old Farhad Khosravi. First day, Hossein Karami was found alive but unconscious and was taken to the hospital while 18 year old Azad Khosravi; Farhad’s brother found dead close to him.
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- The body of 14-year-old Farhad Khosravi; Iranian Koolbar was found after 3 days of wide search in the mountains between Iran and Iraq border. Koolbar is a term used by locals in the Kurdish region of Iran to refer to porters and people who illegally carry goods across the border to earn their living. locals started a search for three border porters or Koolbars stuck in a snow storm on December 17, 2019 and found Farhad frozen body after 3 days; died due to hyperthermia.
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- The funeral ceremony of 14 year old Farhad Khosravi; Iranian Kurd koolbar who’s body founded frozen 3 days after the snow storm in the mountains between Iraq and Iran. Angry locals in the western province of Kurdistan chanted against the Iranian Government during the ceremony. Koolbar is a term used by locals in the Kurdish region of Iran to refer to porters and people who illegally carry goods across the border to earn their living.
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- Crowded and compact line of kulbars, is moving very slow due to the harsh, bumpy , tall uphill path right beside the mountain abyss
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- Kulbars are relaxing for a bit every few hours and then they start again to climb. The faster ones have more time to seat and gain their energy back.
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- one of the kulbars take his time to pray before hit the road again.
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- Lunch is very basic, little bit of bread, cheese, tomato and cucumber.
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- Kulbars work as a team, they are helping each other to keep the speed right.
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- This is the rondevu (meeteni) point in Uraman. Iranian Smugglers are receiving the goods which kulbars brought them all the way from Iraq through the mountains.
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- Goods (Cigarettes) are being loaded to the trucks and soon they rush to the hidden storage in the close by village.
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- The plastic covers of the smuggled goods are being torn and left at the rondevu (meeting) point.
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- Mules are extremely valuable for the smugglers, some of the goods are being transported by mules while the rest are being moved by Kulbars.
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- Bloody print of mules foot. Like kulbars, mules are also get injured sometimes due to a harshness of the business. Roads are very slippery, specially when its snowing and Border patrol shoot both kulbar and their mules if they caught them.
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- Mules are extremely valuable for the smugglers, some of the goods are being transported by mules while the rest are being moved by Kulbars.
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- Little break before changing the plastic covers and start to move again.
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- A wide search by locals started right after 3 koolbars got stuck in snow storm in the border mountains of Iran and Iraq (Kurdistan Province). Koolbar is a term used by locals in the Kurdish region of Iran to refer to porters and people who illegally carry goods across the border to earn their living. 3 days after the search began, they found the frozen body of 14 year old Farhad Khosravi. and not much further his younger brother 14 year old Farhad Khosravi. First day, Hossein Karami was found alive but unconscious and was taken to the hospital while 18 year old Azad Khosravi; Farhad’s brother found dead close to him.
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- He is hitting the old injured mule to run. As if mule stay put, he is going to freeze and die and its bad for the mule and the business.
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- The journey is not only risky as it is an illegal act, the mountain path is also extremely dangers. Kulbars have to be quite, fast and yet careful while passing through the valley.
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- Kulbars left their parcel in the valley and went back up the mountain to help the other elder kulbars with heavy parcels.
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- Young Kulbar is running fast through the snowy downhill, while carrying a heavy parcel on his back.
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- Mules footprint in to the snow of the valley.
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- He found few minutes for himself and started to pray.
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- Big smuggled parcels are being pulled by the Kulbars through the valley.
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- Night time, Kulbars are gathering at the village tea house to chat, drink tea and play some games.
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- He is about to win the game. Kulbars, having a good time. Playing Domino and smoking Shisha.
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- Kulbars, having a good time. Playing Domino and smoking Shisha.
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- He has tattoos; written in Farsi and it’s a man’s name ”Iraj” and the star of David on his hand.
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- The grave of a young Kulbar who had an accident during his smuggling work.
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- Uraman village at sunset. Kulbars are resting and getting ready to start to get to the Iraqi site before sunrise.
