Untold: Iran

UNTOLD Iran is a visual journal, capturing the evolution of Iran from the mid-1980s to the mid-2010s. Ali Amirparviz, born in Esfahan, Iran in 1992, followed in his father’s footsteps from a young age. This never before seen collection pays homage to Nader Amirparviz’s vintage film archive from the city of Zahedan and continues through Ali’s perspective. This exhibition shows a side of the country that goes beyond the public headlines. At the core of this archive is the theme of resilience. It is found in the weathered faces of the elders, the playful gaze of children, and the stoic mountains that frame them. These images document a period of immense change, yet they focus on what remained constant: the quiet dignity of daily life and the beauty of the land.

This is an invitation to witness the untold stories of Iran—an intimate portrait of a people who, like their nature, endure with grace.

Through portraiture and landscape, Ali explores a changing Iran with the perspective of someone who came of age in the city but found his soul in the stone and spirit of the countryside. Each image is a modern chapter in the "Untold" story, captured as he retraces the paths of those who came before him.

As Iran once again finds itself at a historical crossroads, these images serve as a vital testament to what endures. Whether it is the weathered face of a mountain elder, the shadow of a Zagros peak, or the fleeting stride of a child on a village road, the work asks us to look closer at what is being defended. In a world of shifting borders and breaking news, Untold seeks to anchor the viewer in the humanity that remains constant—reminding us that even in the face of uncertainty, the story of Iran is still being written, and it is still beautiful.

UNTOLD Iran is an intimate dialogue between two generations, two eras, and a landscape that refuses to be defined by its headlines. This collection captures a country of profound contrasts. Through a lens that traverses portraiture, landscape, and street photography, the exhibition reveals an Iran that exists beyond the frame of the evening news—a place where ancient tradition and modern resilience live side-by-side.

This collection is more than a geographic study; it is an act of restoration and an urgent record of a heritage under pressure. Alongside recent photographs of a country navigating its most turbulent chapter in decades are film captures from the 1980s.