Rotterdam - The famous Kurdish movie director Bahman Ghobadi visited the Rotterdam Film Festival on Wednesday to show his new movie “Nobody Knows About The Persian Cats”. He had a message for the Iranians in Iran, asking them to copy the movie and spread it on the Iranian black market: “This is your copy and you can spread it as much as you can.”
The movie tells the story of two young Iranian musicians trying to put together a band to play in Europe, after being released from jail. According to AFP, the movie challenges Iran’s draconian censorship and pays tribute to the country’s underground rappers and rockers.
Ghobadi told the Dutch audience that every week in Iran one young Iranian is dying or wounded when they flee the Islamic police that arrests youngsters having parties or playing rock music. “If they arrest you there, you will get a thick record and it will be difficult to get work, go to university. This shouldn’t happen.”
Journalist Roxani Saberi, who co-wrote the film told the audience that the Iranian youth are pursuing a lot of risks. “We often take the basic right of freedom of expression for granted in the West. Many Iranians have taken great risks to pursue this right, especially over the past several months. It is important for them to know that people outside the country are aware of their situation and are watching.”
The Iranian-Japanese American journalist was arrested in Iran in January 2009 for alleged spying. When she was arrested, Ghobadi, the partner of Saberi wrote an emotional love letter in an attempt to have her freed. Eventually she was freed in May 2009 and was banned from working as a journalist in Iran for five years and left the country. She told the audience she is not a spy and wants to return back. “But it’s not the best time now to go back.”
Ghobadi said if he returns to Iran they might take his passport and cannot leave Iran for a long time. “I’m waiting tell Iran is getting better. The new generation wants to change the government as soon as possible. They deserve much more than that. What you have seen is just a tiny bit of wealth, art, music and poetry we have that is underground. If we can choose the government the people want, you will see it [art] flourishing more than ever!”
The movie Persian Cats was made 5 months before the Iranian elections of June 2009. Ghobadi was worried that his 3 copies wouldn’t made it to Europe. Finally he managed to smuggle one copy to Berlin, which was edited there and eventually sent to Iran. “I dedicated this movie to the Iranians in Iran. They can copy it without any costs. We should try to support the young artists in Iran, the future of the country.”
Ghobadi assured the audience that most people of the movie do not face any risks. While the main actors were already leaving Iran, the others continued playing underground music like usual. The film director also told his female actors to cover their hair for their own safety.
The film maker was asked if he was making a movie about the green movie in Iran. He didn’t say his upcoming movies would focus on the Iranian opposition, but he did say they wouldn’t be unrelated to the situation of Iran. Ghobadi will continue to work on two projects in Europe. Furthermore he is planning to shoot a new movie in 2012 in Southern Kurdistan.
