RAVING IRAN (Susanne Regina Meures, Switzerland). 85 minutes. Rating: NNN
House music is illegal in Iran, which makes Anoosh and Arash’s livelihood pretty much impossible.
They are Blade & Beard, DJs who organize noisy but clandestine raves in the desert and try to shop around their album to printers and storekeepers who keep reminding them that jail is the final destination.
People surreptitiously recorded on cellphones explain why the music is dancing with the devil having a female lead singer is one reason. The hidden camera lets us eavesdrop on a restrictive culture, but also leaves a lot of information outside the frame.
I couldn’t shake the feeling that scenes were being staged to amplify Blade & Beard’s story. Download their music today on SoundCloud.
May 1, 4:15 pm, Scotiabank 4 May 3, 3:15 pm, TIFF 2 May 7, 7 pm, TIFF 3