The Stateless

From the bustling metropolises of Berlin to the lonely expanses of Iran, three determined women fight to prevent forgetting. As they search for their lost loved ones and fellow citizens who have disappeared, they give a platform to the voices of the oppressed and demand justice for those who have been silenced by oppression.

In Berlin, they join forces to found the Justice Team , a group dedicated to preserving the memories of executed prisoners and disappeared persons.

With meticulous care, they examine documents, photographs and personal memorabilia to bring forgotten truths back to light. Every phone call or text message takes them from the bustling streets of Berlin to the silent expanse of the Iranian deserts, where the memories of the executed remain alive and the voices of the silenced whisper in the silence.

“The Stateless” transcends geographical boundaries and connects the voices of the lost with the global movement for justice, inspiring hope and spurring action.

Historical context: From the executions of the 1980s to the “Women, Life, Freedom” movement

In recent decades, Iran has been the scene of brutal state repression.
The mass executions of the 1980s, in which it is estimated that tens of thousands of political prisoners were murdered without trial, left deep wounds in the country’s collective memory.

Many victims found their final resting place in hidden mass graves such as Khavaran, a cemetery in south-east Tehran that borders several burial sites of religious minorities. (In the summer of 1988, thousands of political and religious prisoners were secretly buried there, including 173 men and 38 women from a left-wing group who were shot dead in August of the same year).

Khavaran has since become a symbol of state terror and the concealment of crimes. The families of the victims live through an unbearable uncertainty and have been fighting for decades to bring the truth to light. Their search for the burial sites of their loved ones is a powerful sign of resistance against forgetting. This refusal to suppress the crimes also symbolises the fight for the dignity of the victims and the responsibility of the perpetrators.