Name: Narges Pourmand
Thesis Site: a.parsons.edu/~narges/thesis
Email: nargesa@yahoo.com
Field Title: Designer
Thesis Title: State of Grace
Thesis subtitle: A Video Documentary of The Razbar Ensemble 

Through exploring the essence of The Razbar Ensemble in a video format, I intend to show the potential effect of sacred/spiritual music on the human spirit.  
The Razbar Ensemble is a musical group of Kurdish Ahl-e Haqq (literally "Followers of the Truth") currently residing in Germany. The members are natives of Hashtgerd, a town of predominantly Kurdish culture located on the outskirts of Tehran, Iran.
The Ahl-e Haqq consider sacred music a divine creation, an indispensable element for spiritual development that can potentially create a link to the Creator. Music thus constitutes a central component of the devotional rituals they perform.
Founded in 1997 in Bonn, Germany, the Razbar Ensemble's primary goal is to present the sacred music of the Ahl-e Haqq, whose extraordinarily rich repertoire is derived from its deep roots in ancient spiritual and artistic traditions.
This documentary serves as merely an introduction to their vast culture. It is hoped that the viewers not only gain some more insight about this incredibly rich culture but are also positively affected by their "State of Grace."