Migration is often associated with the hope for a better life—whether for economic, political, or security reasons. But for many families, especially from regions like the Middle East, migration means more than just a geographical change; it also brings emotional separation. When individual family members migrate to different European countries, the traditional family structure often falls apart. Physical distances, cultural differences, and everyday challenges in the new country lead to families living apart for years.

I am the youngest child in a large family from Kurdistan, Iran. I have six sisters and two brothers. One year before I was born, my eldest sister, Shehin, got married and emigrated with her husband. The following year, my other sister, Shahla, also left our home. This meant that our family could never be together in one place.

Being united was our mother’s wish. We often made plans, but bringing together a large family living in different countries (Iran, Switzerland, Denmark, and Germany) was difficult and expensive.

Sadly, our mother passed away on June 6, 2023. After that, we all felt an even greater need to fulfill her wish. Even though our mother was no longer with us, we were finally able to make her dream come true. We spent twenty days in Istanbul, Turkey—a place that was not our home, but where we could all be together.

I have always taken photos of my family, but this time I felt a strange loneliness and sense of separation. So I saw my camera as a motherly embrace that brought us closer together, and I was finally able to take a picture in which we were all together—a family photo.