Directed by Kamran Heidari • 2013 • Iran
Since his Internet hit, “Bad Shans” (hard luck), Hamid Said has become one of the most famous black musicians in Iran. He’s traveling by motorbike across the province of Hormozgan, which is situated in the South of the country on the Persian Gulf, in order to realize his dream. he wants to organize a concert with the best black musicians in the country.
Besides Persians, Indians, Arabs, and Europeans, the province of Hormozgan, Iran’s “black south” has been influenced primarily by the descendants of slaves and merchants from Africa. Although Shiites, they still hold Voodoo ceremonies just as their African ancestors did and wakes in Hormozgan are more reminiscent of scenes from New Orleans, with the mourners dancing in an elated and joyous manner to black rhythms.
Filmmaker Kamran Heidari accompanies Hamid Said as he attempts to make his dream come true. He must overcome numerous hurdles along the way: Hormozgan’s landscape, which is as inhospitable as it is breathtaking, traveling from the coast over rugged mountains to the desert, the African spirit rites; and the resistance of his wife, who is completely against his plan.
Directed by Vahid Hosseini • 2018 • Iran
Fight Feast is about the vicissitudinous story of Iranian music between 1979-1989, the years just after the revolution through the end of Iran-Iraq war. The narrative of restrictions and obstacles told by musicians, composers, and state authorities. The co...
Directed by Nasser Saffarian • 2007 • Iran
This intriguing short portrays the lifestyle of a Spanish woman living in Washington D.C. as she protests the American occupation of Iraq. Residing in a tent directly outside of the White House, Conception Picciotto is a constant presence amongst the to...