Love Story

Iran-Iraq war is the most prolonged war of the twentieth century after the Vietnam War. One of the ominous aftermaths of this war, is the unexploded landmines that seem everlasting. The story of landmines is one of the stories that preserves the war’s poisonous theme and remains for coming generations. There are still villages and towns that war has not stopped for their residents. “Love Story” is the narrative of a boy called Salah Saeedpour, born on August 23, 1986 in Marivan County, Kurdistan Province, Iran. Fifteen years after the end of Iran-Iraq war, as Salah has growth adolescent and just in the time when war and bloodshed were replaced by peace and love, he becomes the victim of the silent war. On September 7, 2001 while he was having a picnic with his family, he stepped on an unexploded concealed landmine somewhere near Bashmaq, the border of Marivan and Iraqi Kurdistan and lost his two hands (from the wrist) and his two eyes. Like most of the landmine victims, Salah had to get along with his new situation. So he didn’t give up and started to do the sports in order to come back to the normal routine of everyday life. After three years of confrontation with different problems and disagreements due to his physical limitations, he succeeded to marry a gorgeous girl called Serveh Amini (born on June 14, 1991) in November 2014. My photographic project began four months after their marriage. I believe that my assignment in photography is recording the unforgettable memories that make the life meaningful and prevent it from becoming habitual. To me, the most precious joy of life is love and the real overwhelming love of Salah and Serveh, has established a deep emotional relationship between us that I’ve decided to continue the project until the last day of my professional career. Serveh kindly helped Salah to study law at university and earn his B.S. Moreover, Salah has stood on several national and international champion podiums in swimming and track and field and has obtained numerous medals as an athlete. This lovely couple are also among the advocates of the natural environment, or better said, all environments that bear some signs of life and liveliness, in order to make the world a better place for existence. From my point of view, Salah and Serveh are the pure models of humanity and their perspective through life is admirable. The true surviving part of Salah and Serveh’s life, which is visible in my pictures, is respecting the differences. Trying to surmount the difficulties and overcome the problems together and by noticeable self-devotion, Salah and Serveh showed that life is replete with beauty and “love” plays a vital role in exhibiting these beauties.