In an act of a suicide, the murderer cannot be identified. So what determines the line between committing suicide and murder when the world encourages you to do both? Who is the killer? What about the circumstances? Environment? Life?
In the past I have had several attempts of committing suicide, but each time I have changed my mind. I could not do it since it requires a great deal of courage. Each time a reason, a ray of hope has stopped me from doing it. But how desperate can people who commit suicide be? Every time I read or hear about a suicide attempt, my heart beat rises, my breath tightens, and fear takes all over my body And I always askmyself,” Who will be next?” Maybe one of my friends? Maybe one of my loved ones?
In Iran, according to the un-official statistics, more than 4,000 people with an age range of 18 to 25 years old have ended their lives in 2015 and the number of people committing suicide in this year is greater than years 2014 and 2013 which demonstrates the increasing rate of suicides in Iran.
It is well known that mental health problems are related to deprivation, poverty, inequality and other social and economic determinants of health. Economic crises are therefore times of high risk to the mental well-being of the population and of the people affected and their families. Mental health is an indivisible part of public health and significantly affects countries and their human, social and economic capital. Mental health is not merely the absence of mental disorders or symptoms but also a resource supporting overall well-being and productivity.
In this work you will not find any signs of suicide at first glance and I don’t mean to illustrate violence. What I’m trying to show is a concept of life that drags people to a point that they feel non-existence is better than existence and everything is absurd. Most of the characters in my photos are the people who I know them. All these characters have something in common and that is pondering over death. The suicide of butterflies is a work about the thinking of suicide. Who is thinking about it and who has done or failed to do it.
About Farshid Tighehsaz
Farshid is a freelance photographer based in Tabriz, Iran. He was born in 22 July 1987. He’s father was an amateur photographer. Farshid started photography for understanding the Life after his father died in since 2006. Also he studied General Psychology at the University. In 2010 he started professionally work with some news agencies in Iran until 2014. He’s workshas been published internationally on news agencies such as New York Times, Washington Post, Reuters, associated press, Agence France-Press… [Official Website]
