This film will be discussed by Iran experts Sahand Sahebdivani and Sara Mohammadi. They will engage in a debate about contemporary (cultural) Iran, the (im)possibility of making music freely there, and the precarious situation of the musicians we see in the film.
After international arthouse hits such as *A Time for Drunken Horses* (2000) and *Turtles Can Fly* (2004), Iranian filmmaker Bahman Ghobadi made his first documentary, *No One Knows about Persian Cats*, shot in secret in Tehran without the necessary permission. In this musical film, Ghobadi follows twenty-somethings Negar and Ashkan, who are searching for new musicians for their band in a country where pop music is banned. Their wanderings lead them through the many musical genres of the Iranian underground scene: from heavy metal to folk music. At the Cannes Film Festival, Ghobadi's courageous guerrilla documentary won the Special Jury Prize in the Un Certain Regard program.
The film and debate program will be followed by a performance by the Mezrab Connection. They blend traditional Persian music with steamy flamenco and cheerful contemporary (pop) music into a swinging whole.
Film program 'No One Knows about Persian Cats'
Friday, June 25, 9 p.m.
Film Theater De Fabriek, Zaandam
More information: www.iraansfilmfestival.nl
This program is brought to you by the Iranian Film Festival/WOEST and Café Fabriek.
Location
Jan Sijbrandssteeg 12, Zaandam
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