Tuesday, April 23, 2013

No One Knows About Persian Cats - Movie Review

An Iranian movie made by Bahman Ghobhadi 'No One Knows About Persian Cats' is a docu-drama about the underground music movement in Iran. The storyline is thin - it explores how humans find a way of expression despite all the restrictions that governments and societies thrust upon them. This movie more so focuses on the restrictions that Iran probably has on rock music and more specifically the underground Indie-rock (alternative rock) scene in Iran.

The story picks up with two youngsters, a boy and a girl, who have attended a rock concert and were arrested by the police. They decide to go to Europe to play their music and approach a middle man. He takes them to a person who can give them passports, visas and even green cards - all forged - for a fat fee. The two youngsters agree. The middle man, a youngster himself, tells them that it is better they stick to their music since they play such fine music (he listens to their tape) and offers his help to put together a band. Thus starts the underground journey of rock bands that play hidden in cellars, in faraway cow sheds, in dark dungeons and so on. They meet rock musicians, grunge musicians, sisters who make a living singing, drummers and guitarists who dream of nothing in life but to express themselves through their music. The two traverse the underground music scene and find much good music and many frustrated souls who wish to express themselves.

Nothing much by way of the story but an interesting docu-drama into the underground music scene, the needs of the young and their absolute right to express themselves. 'No One Knows About Persian Cats' truly sticks to the soul of Irani movies which somehow protest loudest against their systems and somehow find the space to express themselves. Thanks to my nephew Avinash to gifted me this.

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