No One Knows About Persian Cats (2009) and They Should!

   

After a great walk at the Reservoir yesterday and a nice glass of cava, we came back home and decided to watch a movie before heading to dinner.  I had heard of Persian Cats and we decided to try it out and I am so glad we did.  It made me realize, once again, how lucky we are to have our freedom.

This film was completed in 17 days and shows the underground of musicians in Iran following two musicians who were released from prison.  Their crime?  Loving and trying to spread their love of Indie Rock with a string desire to go to Europe to play music.  All Negar wants is to play her music and sing without fear.  Something we all tend to take for granted.

Today, it's estimated that as much as two thirds of Iran's population is under 25 and that there are over 2,000 underground bands.  They need to find "safe" places to practice and play their music to make sure a neighbour sells them out to the police.  The film took us from rooftops to basements.  It shows how these artists are trying to pursue their passions.

When I googled, the film this piece from the Washington Post hit home about the director, Bahman Ghobadi, in his own words:

The film, he hopes, will show another side to a country so often portrayed only as a nuclear threat or a geopolitical chess piece. "The Islamic Republic of Iran has successfully manufactured news" to distract Western media, he says. "The issue of human rights violations just doesn't come to the fore."

According to the review in SF Gate:

The title "No One Knows About Persian Cats" refers to an Iranian law that requires dogs and cats to remain indoors. Similar constraints drive the country's indie-rock scene far underground, into barns and basements and rooms soundproofed with blankets, where hip young musicians ply their trade despite the ever-looming threat of arrest. Some have permits. Many don't. But the talented, intrepid rockers inhabiting this film about Tehran's furtive indie scene have the same dreams that drive performers everywhere. What distinguishes this group is their indefatigable gutsiness as they push to be heard.

And today, I wake up knowing in my heart how truly lucky I am to have my freedom.