A Father's Lullaby

Iranian-American multimedia artist and filmmaker Rashin Fahandej’s work focuses on marginalized voices and the role of media, technology and collective cooperation in generating social change. She views art as an ecosystem and defines her projects as a “poetic cyber movement for social justice”, where art mobilizes a plethora of voices by creating connections between public places and virtual spaces. She founded the long-term project A Father’s Lullaby, which explores the role of formerly incarcerated fathers in raising children and the impact of their absence on family relationships and society. These moving stories of trauma, which is often passed down through the generations, are sensitively told to the audience, who act as a witness. Fahandej critically examines the structural racism of the US prison system and the mass incarceration accompanying it, as well as arguing the case for its transformation through care and love. As a lecturer at Emerson College, she runs courses in cooperation with the Nurturing Fatherhood Program in Boston where students, formerly incarcerated fathers, and parole officers co-create films using VR and 360° technology.