The End is Glorious, If We Only Persevere

The End is Glorious, If We Only Persevere, is a poetic expression Elham Eshraghian has used to convey her mother’s experience of displacement after escaping Iran in 1979, during the revolution. The title, a quote by a prominent figure in the Bahá'í Faith, finds its origin in the Bahá'í philosophy that the end of our tumultuous journey, makes way for a glorious and unified world, something we can attain if we only persevere together, regardless of race, class, gender and culture.

During the 1979 Iranian revolution many people were persecuted, exiled or killed. The film predominantly focuses on the religious persecution of the Bahá'ís of which Eshraghian’s family is part. It celebrates culture, remembers moments of loss, and conveys the complex emotions felt within the refugee experience of displacement by using performance, poetry, music and archival documentation.

The installation acts as a message to those who are displaced and have endured hardship, including Eshraghian’s mother, and to unveil their story that should be never silenced. However, the films poetic and somewhat ambiguous style calls for a wider reflection on one’s own experience and the ability to empathise with the Other, whether a refugee arriving to a new country or a host welcoming into a country.

Empathy for all humankind, especially today, may not be an impossible ideal to attain.