Film screening: Tuesday 23rd March, 6pm @ Gala
Special event: Wednesday 24th March, 6pm-11pm @ Side Cinema
Director Bahman Ghobadi / Iran 2009 / 106 min
Certificate 15 / In Persian with English Subtitles
President Mahmud Ahmadinejad imposed a ban on ‘Western and decadent music’ in Iran soon after taking power, yet No One Knows About Persian Cats portrays Tehran as a city with a vibrant underground indie rock scene, and features a number of bands who sound and look good enough to be gaining coverage in NME. Made in secret, and in fear for the crew’s safety this is a remarkable film that cannot be broadcast in the country it was made.
After the screening there will be a skype interview with director Bahman Ghobadi and some of the young people in the film to find out about the frightening reality of rule breaking in Iran.
Side Cinema: Plus live gig by the stars of the movie, Take It Easy Hospital.
Tickets £10 / £8 call 0191 232 2208 or buy Online
Gala Cinema: £6 / £5.25 call 0191 332 4041 or buy Online
Anonymous 
No One Knows About Persian Cats
I loved this film for many reasons. It was brilliant in its mission and in its spirit. It is film making that is challenging – trying to help make change. It is testament to the real underground movement of music – it is a real underground movie.
Of course I would prefer it if Bahman Ghobadi didn’t have to sneak around making a film in Tehran without a permit. Wouldn’t it be awesome if this filmmaker hadn’t been waiting years for the authorities to only reject him constantly for a film making permit – we would have had another film from him, one of the most interesting contemporary film makers in cinemas.
But the fact is that this film has meant many life changes for the Director and the characters in this film. Ghobadi and the film’s main characters are all now out of the country – Ghobadi leaving after several threats and Ashkan and Negar out of pure determination to be able to make free music elsewhere. I wonder what this will mean for Ghobadi’s future films. One thing’s for certain though – they will continue to be seen in Iran. No One Knows About Persian Cats has been copied and passed around like wildfire after Ghobadi sent a master copy to duplicate, play and give away at their own will as the film would obviously never be able to screen properly there. Ghobadi described it as a defiance to the authorities there – that they would not keep him from showing his films to the people. He speaks with passion and anger in his voice and he also talks of the sadness inherent in every Iranian family.
This was a film that was shot other the course of about 2 weeks and that used many real life bands and stories within the fictional drama. It ties together Ashkan, Negar’s and their wheeler dealer, Nader’s journey with sections almost like music videos of different bands in Tehran as they come across them to try and sort out their extra band members and arrange their false passports and permits. I imagine that they had fun with these scenes in the edit – making their music videos interspersed throughout the film drawing on footage from the city. I imagine though at other times the difficulty and even fear of shooting without their permit. Shooting real police activity, shooting parties, shooting a lot on the streets. Bahman used an old film permit when questioned. One of the thing that struck me in the film was this sort of braveness in not being so oppressed by the state. People still party, still break the rules, they go to jail for some time or receive some lashings, but it is all part of the risk. One of the bands talk very casually about going to jail. It seems to just go with the territory and they accept that as a consequence.
At the Side Cinema Ashkan and Negar sit there after the film, transformed style wise, and talk to us about the film. It is a bit silly of me perhaps but I felt just ecstatic to see them there and having followed through with their real life ambitions that are represented so closely in the film – to leave Iran to make music, play music, to record it. I feel like I am sharing in their little bit of victory. But in fact it has been a whole year since they have been living in London and they are beginning to make a name for themselves with their band Take It Easy Hospital (as it is in the film) going on tours, recording new music, seeing their face in the papers.
Ashkan and Negar seem massively independent people. They are very sincere and articulate about the role of music and creativity as an essential in a peaceful and functioning world. They hold onto their creative work, with no music manager no label as of yet, they want to be involved in the processes as much as possible, they repeatedly point out that they want to learn as much as possible from this suddenly vast amount of music available to them – I feel inspired by Ashkan and Negar. Negar ends the Q and A with an intense words on the possibility of no borders, the possibility of a better world if we were all creative and a call to those to take up their instruments. What are you doing waiting for your record deals and your concerts and your records she points out? Pick up your instruments and play.
NO ONE KNOWS ABOUT PERSIAN CATS
Side Cinema 24/03/10
This latest film by director Bahman Ghobadi is a fictional tale based on the real life experiences of Iranian duo, ‘Take it Easy Hospital.’ The story follows their search for a band to leave the country with them so they may at last have the freedom to make the music they love, something that is impossible under the strict Iranian government. I should start by saying that I really wanted to like this film. The blurb promised, ‘a remarkable film’ and in the knowledge that it has already won several awards, most notably the Special Jury Prize at Cannes, I had high expectations. Indeed, there is a lot to like. The sound track, as you would expect, was brilliant and the documentary style shots provided an authentic feel to the film. The dialogue was natural and the characters easy to relate to. I was genuinely excited to see how the story would unfold. Unfortunately, it didn’t.
It is telling that during the post-show question and answer with stars of the film, ‘Take it easy hospital’ both Ash and Negar referenced, ‘feeling responsible’ for the other artists and bands featured in the film. While initial scenes work well to illustrate the wealth of underground talent in Iran the point is over laboured and with each new montage the effect is diluted. . The film becomes repetitive and the viewer loses interest. There are too many characters to care about and no chance to invest thoroughly in any one story. For example, passports are ordered at huge financial cost but this is dismissed quickly by the appearance of some much needed inheritance money. It would have been much more heart rendering when they fail to get their passports if there had been a real need and struggle to find the money to pay for them. Eventually the film picks up pace and there is at last a sense of suspense and anticipation as Ash arrives at an illegal party to find Nader, a wheeler-dealer friend of the band . The cutting of loud and rowdy internal shots against a nervous Negar waiting outside in the dark and deserted streets is used to great effect and the tension builds to a dramatic climax, but here the film ends. This was the only time in the film when the much discussed and obviously very real threats were truly felt. Bahman Ghobadi’s depiction of the youngsters and their, ‘no problem’ attitude was perhaps meant to illustrate an overriding positivity. That those involved believe so strongly that what they are doing, making music, is right and necessary, that they deal with the constant obstacles and risks because they have no other choice. Instead it created no true sense of the stakes and when the final drama takes place it is too little too late.
It is a real shame that this film didn’t have the faith to spend more time on developing a deeper relationship between the main band and the audience. In not trusting the audience to make the connection that one story well told was representative of teenagers all over the country the piece failed to bring the message home. Young people in Iran simply do not have the freedom to express themselves creatively. In choosing to try they face intolerance, physical danger and jail. How many of today’s reality show performers would continue against such extreme odds?
For me, Hamed Behdad (Nader) is the star of the film providing both light relief (his scene talking his way out of police punishment transcends any translational barriers) and scenes of obvious emotional turmoil. The rest of the cast do an admirable job considering their experience but are let down by the writing and direction decisions. I admire the intentions of this piece and even more so for the danger they faced in making the film. For this reason alone I hope that it reaches a wide audience who can find and understand the message within it.
On a separate note, the post-show discussion with Take it easy hospital, was everything the film should have been. They speak passionately about the culture they experienced and their unshakeable faith that free expression through the arts is of huge importance. Though the quieter of the two, Negar’s impassioned speech that they are all too aware of a very negative international view of Iran and that they desperately want to, ‘rub out’ this image and replace it with one of a thriving cultural scene was inspiring. To think that this ultimate pride in the people of Iran is being suppressed is unbelievable. This was followed by a beautiful acoustic performance from the duo which, in such an intimate space, was a privilege to witness