No One Knows About Persian Cats

No One Knows About Persian Cats is a film that, well, no one really knows about.  Distributed by IFC Films, the movie was released to only two theaters nationwide on April 16th, 2010.  Directed by Bahman Ghobadi, this film isn't quite a documentary, but the cast members are playing themselves in real life scenarios that follow true stories.  The plot follows a pair of underground musicians in Tehran by the names of Negar (Negar Shaghaghi) and Ashkan (Ashkan Koshanejad), trying to play music in Iran where most forms of pop music have been banned by the government.

No One Knows About Persian Cats DVD

As mentioned above, No One Knows About Persian Cats is set in the underground music world of Tehran, Iran.  In this region, it is against the law to record, perform, or in any way make rock and roll music.  It is also considered a sin by their culture for women to sing, or even to hear a woman singing.  Negar, one of the stars of the film, is a young woman who wishes to perform with her band without fear or mocking.  Throughout the movie the couple in questions struggles to find a way out of the country so they can make it to a concert in London, England.  While watching, the audience gets to see secret band practices at underground rehearsal spaces and rappers practicing with joy on the top of skyscrapers that haven't finished construction.

Due to the controversial nature of the film it has drawn a lot of independent appraisal, even bringing in an award at the Cannes Film Festival in 2009.  No One Knows About Persian Cats was shot in the time span of only 17 days, as the entire production was illegal and unknown to the Iranian government.  Shot on the run without a government permit, the shooting of this project caused two of the crewmembers to be arrested on
two separate occasions.  Luckily for Ghobadi, the film was never confiscated or destroyed by Iranian officials.

No One Knows About Persian Cats is available on DVD starting on March 15th, 2011, this film offers a unique look at a never before explored world of music.  The director, Ghobadi, and his wife wrote the script, but the locations used in the film are real, as are the performances.  The main characters are playing themselves in this engaging look at a true story of oppression, dreams, struggle, and rebellion.  The soundtrack features tracks from Coldplay and Usher, as well as from the genre that is being depicted through the film.  No One Knows About Persian Cats DVD features subtitles in English.

Abi Motala