The Vanished Ones by Pooyan Moghaddassi (Nogaam, Iran/UK)

In 1988, right after the end of the Iran-Iraq war, the Supreme Leader of Iran, Ayatollah Khomeini, ordered the execution of thousands of political prisoners. These executions happened throughout Iran and lasted about five months, beginning in July.  They were carried out without any legal authority. Many prisoners were also tortured. Great care was taken to conceal the executions. The bodies were buried in mass graves. One of them located in Tehran is called Khavaran cemetery. The graves in the cemetery do not have any marking on them. The government does not allow the families of the dead to mourn in the cemetery and the identity of those who were buried in the cemetery is unknown to their relatives.
This story is about Shirin, a young woman in her twenties who belongs to a different generation who manages to secure her first solo painting exhibition in Khavaran cultural centre years later. The centre is built on the grounds of Khavaran cemetery. When she brings the news to her passionate supporter uncle, he breaks down and starts telling her about his past and the history of Khavaran cemetery.

Reading presented by Nogaam (Iran/UK).