upcoming grant deadline: 05/15/2024
Leila’s project, Silken Veils, is a one-act theatrical performance piece aimed at creating social change by raising knowledge and awareness about Iranian culture, injustice, and inequality in Iranian society, and the origins of the political tensions between Iran and the United States. These issues are explored through the story of Darya, a young Iranian emigre who questions the value of love while reliving her childhood and the turbulence and passion her family experiences during the Iranian Revolution of 1979 and the Iran-Iraq War. The piece utilizes live performance, marionettes, shadow work, animation, and the poetry of Rumi to create a highly theatrical and elegant performance that engenders empathy and greater cultural understanding.