Watch the video of this performance:

(1988)

The title fittingly refers to the term coined by the Afghanis to describe the Soviet invasion. In this performance, I recall my experiences when I visited Afghanistan in 1973, and I express a sense of mourning for the Afghani friends I’d made and left behind, whereabouts now unknown.

The distinct segregation of gender roles in this Islamic culture led me to look at images of gender, from both a historical and cultural perspective. By including these images in this performance, I gave voice to possibility for the many Afghani women I met who felt they had none.

Catastrophe and Beguilement