The Sun Is Gone

A weekend full of activities and a solo performance by Bita Bell are dedicated to Iranian singer Googoosh, who finally returned to the stage in exile after 20 years of house arrest. A love letter to an icon as a reflection of the struggles and hopes of many generations of Iranians.

The Sun Is Gone is a dance performance inspired by the iconic Iranian singer Googoosh: her 21-year forced silence after the 1979 revolution and her return to the stage in exile in 2000. She embodies the struggles and hopes of those in Iran and the diaspora, from the 1970s to the Gen Zs, bridging geographies and generations. She also represents the Iranian collective nostalgia of an era that seeks to project the future of female performers in Iran. In this solo, Bita Bell dances closer to Googoosh, embracing the depth of their shared background. She summons the figure of Googoosh, holding a mirror to the past and a crystal ball to the future. Through Googoosh’s 1970s music and lyrics, the performance moves through invisibility and visibility, the private and the public, silence and voice, isolation and togetherness.

As an accompanying program to the performance, an entire weekend is dedicated to The Sun Is Gone, including the launch of TQW zine #2 – Shabé Yalda edition, an artist talk and a party to celebrate the winter solstice with Persian Grooves and Raqsouna. Plus, the The Sun Is Gone Living Room opens daily at 17:00, presenting film screenings and a selection of related books and articles before the performance.