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Honorable Mention BIFA 2026 People / Culture

Mud and Devotion, The Ritual of Grief

  • Photographer
    Shirkoo Mamagha
  • Prize
    Honorable Mention in People / Culture

This social documentary photograph captures the ancient, indigenous ritual of "Golmali" (mud-rubbing) during the Ashura mourning day in the city of Bijar, Iran—a symbol of profound collective grief, humility, and devotion. In the center of the frame, a man stands with arms outstretched towards the sky, as if representing the intense passion and raw emotion of the entire mud-covered crowd.

BIFA
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