For Neda

I took this photo yesterday, moments before I saw the video of the death of a beautiful young woman in the streets of Tehran, Neda (ندا ). Although I have yet to have the good fortune to visit Iran, professional and personal experiences in my life have made that country's people and fate important to me. As I watched this woman die in the video, and then saw, in the subsequent hours, her memory become a symbol for the Green Revolution sweeping through sectors of Iran, I thought of this image. With her tragic and untimely death, Neda has become larger than life, a symbol of her nation's historic struggle for genuine independence and representation. So many Iranians have been martyred for the cause of freedom over the past century. I continually hope that there are no more Nedas. May the Iranian nation, like all nations around the world, find their own equilibrium, one that is truly just for their society.


For Neda (20 June 2009)
Camera: Polaroid Sx-70
Film: Polaroid Sx-70 Blend