No One Knows About Persian Cats


No One Knows About Persian Cats is a 2009 Iranian film directed by Bahman Ghobadi produced by Wild Bunch. Originally titled Kasi az Gorbehaye Irani Khabar Nadareh, in the film's native language, Persian, this film first took on the name of Nobody Knows About the Persian Cats before finally being titled No One Knows About Persian Cats. The film offers perspective of Iran as it explores its underground rock scene. It won the Special Jury Prize Ex-aequo in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival.

Plot

The film follows two young musicians as they form a band and prepare to leave Iran shortly after being released from prison. The pair befriends a man named Nader, an underground music enthusiast and producer who helps them travel around Tehran and its surrounding areas in order to meet other underground musicians possibly interested in forming a band and later leaving the country.

Cast

Limited Release: Curzon Soho & Key Cities

Awards and nominations

Its first official screening was at the 2009 Cannes Film Festival where it won the Special Jury Prize Ex-aequo in the Un Certain Regard section.
Shortly after the release of the movie, Iranian director Torang Abedian accused Ghobadi of having used many ideas for his movie from her documentary Not an Illusion, made from 2003 to 2008 and released in the same year. According to Abedian, her camera operator got a call from Ghobadi and left her afterwards to make the movie about the same topic with Ghobadi in a few days.