Iran's Vibrant Spirit: Dance and Music Banned in Iran's Deserts

Restrictions within Iran for obtaining film production permits have led some Iranian filmmakers to document their experiences making films without permission; experiences that have recently faced harsher government crackdowns and the imprisonment of several filmmakers, consequently limiting the production of underground Iranian films. Foreign filmmakers intending to create documentaries about social issues in Iran have often had to either abandon their projects or accept the risks of underground filmmaking in Iran. Susan Regina Mors, in her first experience, accepted this risk and, after several trips to Iran, created a film about two DJs and the mixed-gender parties that are banned in Iran, which was recently screened at the Locarno Festival in the Panorama section in Switzerland: "Raving Iran." At the beginning of the film, it is explained that due to restrictions, the filmmaker often had to use a mobile phone camera. Besides party scenes, the filmmaker also uses hidden cameras to showcase her characters in other dangerous situations: for instance, inside the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance building where the two main characters go to obtain a permit for their album and discuss the restrictions. The film follows the story of two young DJs in today's Tehran. Anoush and Arash perform at mixed-gender parties where young boys and girls dance and drink alcohol. They organize a large techno music party in the desert with the presence of youth, and the film shows the stages of invitation, preparation, renting a bus, and passing through checkpoints; with a mostly hidden camera that does not allow the filmmaker to direct in the conventional sense and only attempts to depict a precarious situation in any way possible. From the outset, it is clear that Anoush and Arash will leave Iran; they are the only ones whose faces are clearly shown at the parties, while the faces of other attendees dancing or engaging in activities considered illegal in Iran are blurred. In fact, the film divides people into two categories: those whose visible faces could cause them problems, hence we do not see their faces - for example, the printing house manager who accepts to print the cover of their album or someone who sells their album in their store - and the second category includes government representatives - like those we see behind the desk at the Ministry of Guidance - or individuals who say no to them, such as those who refuse to print their album cover without a permit. As can be guessed from the beginning, Anoush and Arash become tired of the conditions and restrictions and decide to emigrate from Iran. They manage to obtain a visa through an invitation to participate in a music festival in Switzerland and leave Iran. The film follows them in Switzerland until the final scene where they are supposed to go to the airport a few days after their performance, and amidst doubt, they finally tell the taxi driver that they will not go to the airport. The film naturally juxtaposes two societies: one full of restrictions and the other full of personal freedoms. In Iran, we see how young people try to escape these restrictions and experience their youthful lives, while in Switzerland, at a street festival, we see how foreign youth live their personal lives freely, wearing what they like and dancing with a sense of freedom. However, the film does not provide an image of the future for these two young Iranians as two foreigners and two refugees in Switzerland; whether they have achieved their dreams and aspirations in the two or three years since their emigration and whether they are satisfied or not, and ultimately what problems they face regarding their residency, is something the film does not tell us. Nevertheless, Anoush and Arash attended the Locarno Festival and even performed a side event in one of the tents around the festival. The filmmaker claims that she did not reconstruct any scenes in the film and only followed her characters in reality, but ultimately some scenes appear to be reconstructed. "Raving Iran" derives its value from the courage of a filmmaker who steps into the forbidden areas of Iranian society and captures scenes that a Western audience might not even imagine could happen in Iran. However, the film's problem stems from its tourist perspective; the filmmaker does not have the opportunity to delve deeper into an extremely complex society, just as she has not had the chance to create calculated images.