Captain Mehdi

The cars passing by Almas, the curious glances of travelers toward the ship, children stealthily entering it, and the old man making tea inside the cabin…

People who built the ship many years ago could never have imagined that their creation would one day become the devoted companion of an old captain, a shelter for his lonely days.

Many years ago, Almas was declared worn-out and out of order, and Seyyed Mehdi’s efforts to repair and reuse it all remained in vain. Gradually, to the passersby, Almas turned into a strange floating hut sheltering an old man.

But finally, the old captain’s nightmare came true.

Almas was sent to the iron foundry to be recycled.
The exhausted Almas no longer welcomes Seyyed Mehdi anymore.

But Seyyed Mehdi, without Almas—will he?

Captain Mehdi is a black-and-white project consisting of nineteen photographs and a single-channel video.

Captain Mehdi, Iran, 2004 © Tooraj Khamenehzadeh