Portrait #9 – Rita Khalaf is a true Mosul native, born into an old local family. But the 2003 war and the chaos of the 2000s forced her family into exile. They found refuge in France, where she gradually integrated into society and pursued a brilliant education in architecture. Later, the call of her homeland became too strong: she became one of the founding members of The Return, and her first trips to Iraq left a lasting impression on her. Now a PhD candidate, she has chosen the architecture of Mosul as the subject of her thesis and is a pillar of The Return. For her, returning to one’s homeland can take many forms, and everyone has a role to play.
The Return launches its series of video portraits! Because each returnee has their own story, their own cultural background and their own ambitions, it’s important to understand each person’s journey and perhaps draw inspiration from them to build the future of our communities.
This series of portraits was made possible thanks to the financial support of l’Oeuvre d’Orient.
