"Life has thrown me a gift. It was given to me by Jonah Bokaer and the Shared Studios and wrapped in a gold shipping crate. I have been given the opportunity to laugh, dance and stand face to face for the first time in my life with my family in Tehran, Iran. I felt as though we were breathing the same air.
At 19 years old my father lost his fight to cancer, I didn't know the magnitude of what I had lost. I'd just finished my teenage years, left the mormon church and came out of the closet. My confused and distracted heart was not fully open to knowing my father. It's been ten years and my longing to connect with him eats away at me. Not because I haven't accepted the loss, but because I haven't found a satisfying way to truly connect with my extended family who live in Iran.
Jonah was familiar with my family heritage and knew Shared Studios space and "Portal To Tehran" project would ripen my relationship with them. The potential to bridge the gap between unlikely spaces, people and time with this project is remarkable!"
-James Koroni
Jonah Bokaer, James Koroni