IRAN, THE VEILED WOMAN

In Iran, men and women do not have the freedom they yearn for. However, women are less free than men. Compulsory veiling is one of the symbols of this lack of freedom. Even if it is false to believe that the Revolution covered with veils the women who had given it up, the bond to this dress code is very heavy to many Iranian women. By force, the veil came back into morals, and it is suffered as a pressure which is not possible to avoid. Western researchers consider the wearing of the veil in a certain historic context and manage to justify this practice, assimilating it to a shape of cultural diversity and this, without taking into account occult realities of this compulsory practice and especially at the expense of the Iranian women and without having consulted them to know the degree of the unpopularity of the Hijab for them.

French-American, Valerie Leonard travels the world following her theme that she named “Labours of Hercules" where she attempts to show with utmost respect the dignity of women and men living and working in particularly hostile environments. She takes the time to live with the people and be fully accepted before starting her work. There is no staging, with patience and respect, she waits for the right moment, the right light to tell the truth, but in terms of beauty. Far from seeking aesthetic or false compassion she intends to change the way we see a forgotten humanity.