One thing we like to say about dance music is that it truly transcends both geographic and political barriers. We are reminded of this at every festival by the display of flags from around the world. The power of dance music is so strong that even in some of the most repressed countries, it is still thriving in some way. In Iran, Western music is banned from TV and radio airwaves, making it difficult for DJs, producers and artists to showcase their talents. A new documentary, Raving Iran, is about two techno DJs in the capital city of Tehran and it is set to be shown at a few film festivals around the world. These guys are literally risking their lives to perfect their craft. Here, techno is truly more underground than anywhere else.
Raving Iran portrays all the struggle and dangers that Iranian artists face in the country. The documentary comes from Swiss filmmaker Susanne Regina Meures, who tells the story of Arash and Anoosh. The DJs are tired of hiding from law enforcement and having their careers held up because of the crazy rules and laws surrounding Western music. They have decided to organize one last rave under dangerous circumstances in the desert of Tehran, which can lead to arrest or a possibly worse punishment.
The documentary will be shown at DOK.fest in Munich, Bel Docs in Belgrade, Hot Docs in Toronto and at the Iranian Film Festival in Zurich. There is no cinematic release date as of now, but you can check out the trailer of the documentary below. For more information, head to the film’s website.
