Papiervögel

25 years of the Literaturhaus
Hovering. Contrast program in difficult times
Reading and discussion with Mana Neyestani
Moderation: Florian Höllerer
Translation: Nuschin Mameghanian-Prenzlow
Language: German / Persian
In impoverished Iranian Kurdistan, where the Zagros Mountains form the border with Iraq, people are fighting for survival. They carry cigarettes, alcohol and clothing over icy passes up to 3,000 meters high. Several dozen of these carriers, known as "Kolbar", die every year - as victims of Iranian border officials, landmines, avalanches or the icy cold. In "Paper Birds", Jalal, an engineer, joins the men from his village on one of these smuggling trips, while a young woman in the village waits for him to return. He folds a paper bird for a 12-year-old porter and asks the boy to imagine that this bird can fly anywhere. Because the imagination is the first step towards making something a reality. "Paper Birds" is part of our anniversary program "25 Years of the Literaturhaus - Floating. A program of contrasts in difficult times" and weaves a world of love, courage, social hardship - and confidence - with quiet precision. Mana Neyestani, born in Tehran in 1973, is a comic artist and illustrator. He is considered one of Iran's most important political cartoonists and currently lives in Paris.

In cooperation with the Institut français Stuttgart as part of the Stuttgart Comic Days 2026