Chatting the Pictures: Considering Mahsa Amini’s Legacy on the First Anniversary of Her Death

This photo by Iranian photographer Ahmad Halabisaz was taken a few days after the death of Mahsa Amini in Tehran on September 16, 2022. The 22-year-old Kurdish woman was allegedly killed by Iran’s morality police for violating the country’s mandatory hijab law. On the first anniversary of her passing, we consider this photo as part of her legacy. Since the death, Iranian women have been protesting in public without a head covering. In the photo, an Iranian woman sits in a chair in front of a busy square in Tehran where a massive crowd of men and women, young and old, chant the slogan: ‘Woman, Life, Freedom.’

As Cara Finnegan notes: “This photo is a great illustration of the idea that you don’t have to be standing up to stand up for yourself.” In the video, we underscore the photo’s distinctiveness, emphasizing personal mood over public action. We explore the depth of the woman’s expression, which transcends mere visible anger. We examine her body language and attire, symbolizing both immediate defiance and a prolonged commitment to the cause. Finally, we note the image’s layers, deftly contrasting the public realm with personal intimacy and the faceless with the familiar.