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// Bahman Ghobadi

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Bahman Ghobadi
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No One Knows About Persian Cats : The Tehran Underground


No One Knows About Persian Cats : The Tehran Underground

In 2008, the celebrated Kurdish-Iranian film-maker Bahman Ghobadi ventured into the Tehran underground and encountered a buzzing clandestine music scene. The discovery led him to make the “90% true” movie ‘No One Knows About Persian Cats’. Shot illegally, the film is an act of resistance against the heavy persecution of non-religious music since Ahmadinejad came to power in 2003. We talk to the director about the censorship of music and cinema in Iran and about the artists risking everything for their art.

 

What does the title of the film mean – No One Knows About Persian Cats?

Bahman Ghobadi: When I’d go and listen to the music of the underground, I’d often see cats and dogs around in these clandestine locations. It struck me that even the cats were not free to walk the streets and that the young people playing on the underground scene were like those cats. Yet, Persian cats are really highly regarded around the world, like us Iranian directors, as here you are, interviewing me.

 

Your previous films are set in Kurdistan in Iran. Why did you decide to make this film about the underground music scene of Tehran?

BG: I made three films about Kurdistan in Kurdish and I got a warning from the Iranian government about the most recent one (Half Moon). They accused me of being a separatist, of wanting Kurdistan to break away from Iran. Instead of encouraging me to continue to make films for my people, they told me that I should stop. For 17 years I lived in Tehran, and I always told myself I would make a film about this city. But I wanted to wait until I really knew the city, and I wanted to make a film that was different to my other films and different to films done by other directors. The subject of the film was a forbidden subject because it talked about music. I had the courage to make this film thanks to the actors and the team who worked on it. I think it’s a totally original film.

 


Take It Easy Hospital in No One Knows About Persian Cats

 

How did you find the musicians?

BG: For three years I tried to get authorisation for a film I had prepared (‘Sixty Seconds About Us’) but they refused. I met a friend who said to me “Music is an art. If you can’t make films, make music”. This same friend introduced me to the underground music scene in Tehran. I wasn’t planning to make a film at that point. I met Negar Shaghaghi and Ashkan Koshanejad who told me, “you know, sooner or later, we’re going to leave the country”. I decided to make a film about them. I was apprehensive, but I wrote a screenplay and I filmed it. As artists, it’s up to us to see things before the rest of the world does. When I met those guys, I was shocked because I had no idea they existed. I made a film in which the musicians play themselves. There must be more than a thousand bands who play on the underground scene in Iran. And maybe we are yet to discover the best ones. I tried to meet as many as possible but I couldn’t meet them all.

 

The line between documentary and feature film is pretty blurred…

BG: Everything you see in the film is real. The story is true, we just added some elements, like Negar’s death. But it’s true that every week in Tehran, when there’s a music party, at least one person will end up dead. The government agents attack the house and disperse the people, their behaviour is totally unbearable. I wanted to make an actual documentary, but then I met these guys who had so many stories to tell me, and I couldn’t bear not to tell the stories in my film. The underground music scene in Iran is not the same as in other countries. In Iran, the government tries to stamp everything out. In other places, people have incredible freedom. I knew this would be the last film I would make in Iran and since I met Hegar and Ashkan, who were looking for new members for their bands, I had the chance to show all kinds of music that exist in Iran. The main characters left Iran four hours after the last take. One of them, the one who did the film score (Mahdyar Aghajani) asked for asylum in France and he is frightened of returning to Iran where he would be arrested and tortured. Those who don’t talk about politics have stayed in Iran. I have already invited several people to leave, and they got out of Iran, but sometimes they go back because they are too attached to their country.

 


Rana Farhan in No One Knows About Persian Cats

 

How does music censorship work in Iran? Are all types of music forbidden?

BG: Look, basically, all music is forbidden. Even in traditional music, you can’t have a woman singing on her own, there have to be three or four voices together. On Iranian state television, you cannot show a musical instrument, since they say they are forbidden. If you want to play music, you have to have permission. You have to present your recordings to the Ministry, who will demand certain changes, or simply refuse permission outright. There is no government support whatsoever for music, which is considered an illicit activity. With this film and this music, I feel closer to God than before.

 

And film censorship?

BG: It’s exactly the same, worse even. Over three years I went to the Ministry of Culture more than 200 times to seek authorisation. Every time, after 4 or 5 hours wait, they told me “come back again and we’ll see”. When I wanted to finalise the screenplay and the direction of the story, I would have to go to the Ministry and I lost so much time and energy with all this. We were forced to cheat, we would add an imaginary scene, a prayer scene for example, which had nothing at all do with the film’s story, just so that we could get the authorisation. We were constantly worried about how to deal with the government. If people who see my film like it, I hope they can support it. This kind of film often gets poor distribution, I would like to ask the people who get to see it to spread the word.


There is one particularly memorable scene, with the rapper in a construction site…

BG: This rapper is very famous in Iran, he’s one of the best. He’s called Hichkas. They have seized his passport so that he can’t leave the country. He talks about the problems in Iran. He has no fear, but I am afraid for him. He speaks directly about the suffering in our society. He is very interesting, he grew up in the chic neighbourhoods of Tehran but he made a connection with the people in the poor neighbourhoods. His likes to use his lyrics to talk about the difficulties they face. He is very popular. He told me he avoids smoking because he doesn’t want to be a bad influence. Most of the underground musicians are very calm, they’re serene. They don’t take drugs or drink. But if you do see the rare individuals who resort to drugs or alcohol, it’s because of the huge pressures on them. The government spreads negative propaganda about them, saying they are not normal, that they worship Satan, in an effort to stop young people being influenced by them. There are even announcements on television saying that.

 


Hichkas in No One Knows About Persian Cats

 

In the film, the groups have electric guitars, drum kits…where do they get hold of their instruments?

BG: New instruments are very rare. In general these guys save up for years to buy them. There are shops selling them, which is contradictory, because it’s forbidden to play them, on television or on the radio. These shops are in Tehran, in the rural areas you would only be able to get hold of traditional instruments.

 

Who did you make the film for? Do you think it will be seen in Iran?

BG: Before making ‘No One Knows About Persian Cats’, I had seen quite a few films about music. I wanted to do something different. I said to myself, instead of just focussing on the musicians, I wanted to include other images which I find beautiful. The film will never be shown officially in Iran under this regime. Soon I’m going to send it there so it can be pirated. At the beginning of the film I ask the Iranian spectators, who won’t be paying to see it, if they can support those who make the music.


www.mijfilm.com





Florence Thireau


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