“No One Knows About Persian Cats” is a flawed but fascinating film that gives an insider look into Iran’s underground world of clandestine musicians. Because of the strict censorship laws of the country, many types of western music have become virtually prohibited by Iran’s government. The film depicts the struggles of the hidden musicians and those who help them, focusing on two indie rockers who have just been released from prison.
Negar, the bespectacled, head-scarved singer, has a sort of argumentative, exhausted relationship with the endearing, scruffy Ashkan, the lead singer and keyboardist. The two embark on a search through the underbelly of Tehran to find adequate forged visas, passports and plane tickets out of a place where indie rock has been completely censored.
Negar and Ashkan’s relationship is unclear and often tense ““ Negar is constantly worrying about police and procedures, while Ashkan seems to prefer his own voice to hers. No matter, it’s clear that these two are determined to find success as musicians, and they even have a concert lined up in London.
They meet Nader, a fast-talking, slightly sketchy guy who promises that he can secure them all the documentation they need to leave Iran. Portrayed charmingly by Hamed Behdad, Nadar’s connections soon become an integral part of Negar and Ashkan’s getaway to Europe. Despite Nadar’s tendency to say things in English with a terrible accent, along with his overall shifty attitude, he is charming and adorable enough to keep the movie light. When Negar gets too worrisome, Nader is always the first to assure her that everything will work out.
The director intersperses Negar and Ashkan’s narrative with video montages of the people of Tehran. The audience gets to watch people at work, homeless Iranian citizens asleep in tents and children playing with their parents, all to the beat of one of these underground musicians. The shots of the everyday citizens are compelling, and the sped-up and slow-motion edits keep it fresh, but on the whole, the scenes of Tehran feel really random and disintegrated with the story of the indie pair.
When Nader inexplicably meets up with an up-and-coming rapper on a roof, it’s baffling. There is no explanation as to why 15 minutes of the movie are devoted to this hip-hop artist, and, after his four-minute music video, he is never mentioned again. It seems like director Bahman Ghobadi wanted to show as much of the city and as many of the underground musicians as possible, a feat that ultimately steers away from the plot line and hurts the movie overall.
Because Iran has a tendency to “smear musicians and lock them up,” as stated in the film, Ashkan and Negar must search high and low for a decent drummer and bassist. A heavy metal group performs their “tryout” in a cow-filled barn and later the drummer finds out he’s gotten hepatitis from the conditions. Fellow indie rockers play for Negar and Ashkan in a soundproof shack on top of a building, but they have to wait for the neighbors to leave in order to avoid a visit from the cops.
Though it’s difficult to watch these people suffer just because they really want to make music, the story isn’t entirely depressing. Moments of lightness penetrate the generally gloomy tone of the film, like the scene in which Negar and Ashkan sing at band practice wearing oversized prank sunglasses.
“No One Knows About Persian Cats” not only demonstrates the difficulty of being a budding musician, but also chronicles the hardships and people of the country of Iran. The optimistic, gentle spirit of Tehran is felt, but it’s marred by the censorship and fear brought on by some of the government’s laws.
E-mail Carroll at ccarroll@media.ucla.edu.