Ali Ghaedi Talkhouncheh

I was born in Esfahan, Iran, a city adorned with turquoise domes that glisten pink under the summer sun, and bridges that beckon you to linger, rather than merely cross them. Painting was my first step into the realm of art, but as I matured, writing became my second medium for self-expression. Later, I ventured into film editing. After high school, my family discouraged my pursuit of art and pressured me to opt for a degree in architecture. However, I continued to refine my skills as a filmmaker and visual artist. Following graduation, I created my first short experimental fiction film called “A Dream,” which secured my admission to the Mel Hoppenheim School of Cinema at Concordia University.  However, the unfamiliar artistic approaches taught at Concordia left me perplexed, precipitating an internal struggle and an identity crisis. More significantly, my creative mind went through a transformative period of suffering due to my post-immigration trauma, the COVID-19 lockdown, the internet shutdown in Iran, and many weeks without news from family. The struggle grew even more intense with heartbreaks and disappointments while navigating the queer scene in Montreal. I felt as though Montreal was, in fact, an even larger university where I was educating myself in a grand and immersive program called ''Life as an independent Persian queer individual in Montreal''. Nevertheless, I am committed to seeking new methods of artistic expression as a Persian Queer Immigrant in Canada.