Already winning critical acclaim at multiple international film festivals including: DOK.fest, Hot Docs, and Visions du Reél, Raving Iran is a too real insight into the lengths that humans will go to in order to follow their passions. Shot partially on a cell phone for fear of being caught by Police, the film follows the highs and lows of the stark consequences that go alongside any defiance of the gripping Islamic regime that strictly forbids any Western cultural influence (electronic music included). The film’s protagonists, Aroosh & Arash, are followed by Swiss filmaker Susanne Regina Meures as they risk beatings (or worse) if caught recording, distributing, or playing music un-approved by the Iranian government. After becoming fed up of the constant danger when organising illegal music events in Iran, they are offered a gig at the biggest electronic music festival in Switzerland. Once the elation of the festival subsides, the pair is left with a devastating choice: return to their homeland and face a life of creative oppression, or leave everything behind and follow their dreams as recording artists.
From one look at the film’s Facebook page, the release of the trailer brought responses from eager would-be viewers excitedly requesting screenings in their countries. India, Berlin, London, Canberra, Mexico…it’s clear that the topic resonates globally. One can hope it will open up a pragmatic discussion on cultural freedoms and the relationship of the Iranian people to the rest of the world, and the next generation of youth in particular. As a western viewer, it’s hard to properly process the something so commonplace as creating or listening to music could have such dire potential consequences. The drama is viscerally real, the tension has not been created by scriptwriters and resonates that much louder within the worldwide electronic music community.
Raving Iran could be the spark that ignites a firestorm of discussion into the burning questions of cultural represssion and the future of the global music scene. Check their website for updates on a worldwide release!
