Iranians Who Dare to Rock

The indie rockers in No One Knows About Persian Cats (out on DVD today) dare to play the music they love, even though they know it will likely land them in jail. The film stars Negar Shaghaghi and Ashkan Koshanejad, real-life musicians from Iran who play together as Take It Easy Hospital. And while the movie is fiction, it’s largely based on their true story: from playing in underground clubs, to Koshanejad’s imprisonment, to their attempts to defect to the West.

Last year, Shaghaghi and Koshanejad told Kurt Andersen about the risks they faced while filming on-location in Tehran — they shot the feature in just 17 days, before fleeing the country. They insist their music isn’t political. One song (performed in Persian) asks “What have I done that you’d turn against me?” Koshanejad explained, “That’s what we feel about our country sometimes.”

Listen to their full conversation with Kurt here:

No One Knows About Persian Cats (Courtesy of IFC Films)