Iran: Walking back to life

For twelve-year-old Yeganeh from Tehran, what others might view as a severe physical disability is anything but. Although she was born with a growth defect in her right leg that compels her to wear a prosthesis for life, she shared with the photographer Hossein Beris that she sees it as a symbol of her strength and identity. Rather than hiding her prosthetic leg beneath long dresses, Yeganeh understands it as a testament to a courageous, strong, and beautiful life and presents it openly on streets, in parks, on stairs, and stages. She is already rehearsing onstage for what will one day be her career.

Her dream is to become a film actress. She is already performing in theater productions and walking the runway in children’s fashion shows. Her motto: being different is not a disability and the prosthesis is a storytelling tool.

Photographer: Hossein Beris, New York (Middle East Images)

Hossein Beris, born in 1980, works as a photographer for Middle East Images and uses a pseudonym to conceal his identity while working in a sensitive and dangerous part of the world. He and his colleagues at the agency report from Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, Syria, Turkey, and various other countries. Their goal is to provide long-term inside views from conflict zones that are often hard to access and create an “intimate mosaic” of images and stories that gives the outside world insight into the everyday lives of people frequently tormented by war, violence, and injustice.