One of the most significant audiovisual performances currently touring international festivals, this collaborative work explores the relationship between identity and displacement. The project transcends boundaries both conceptually and practically, bringing together Iranian-Canadian brothers Mohammad and Mehdi Mehrabani-Yeganeh (Saint Abdullah), Irish musician Ian McDonnell (Eomac), and London-based Italian-Australian filmmaker Rebecca Salvadori.
A Forbidden Distance weaves intimate narratives of displacement into a mesmerizing audiovisual dialogue. It probes the deep tensions between separation and connection, illuminating universal experiences of displacement across continents. The performance offers a distinctive dialogue between media — neither a visual accompaniment to music nor a live soundtrack to film. Each element has its own strong voice, yet all contribute to a unified narrative. The piece has been presented at Berlin Atonal, Semibreve, and Lunchmeat Festival.