Recent years have seen a wave of films dealing with underground Islamic youth culture. Joining this group is Bahman Ghobadi's No One Knows About Persian Cats. Based on the lives of real people, Persian Cats is an inspiring, heartbreaking journey into a world where self-expression comes at a high price.

The core story involves a Negar (Negar Shaghaghi) and Askhan (Askhan Koshanejad), a pair of Iranian indie rock musicians who were recently jailed for playing music. The pair get a gig in London, but numerous barriers stand in their way, including lack of band members, passports, visas, and money. The duo enlist the help of Nadar, a musician-actor-bootlegger who knows the Tehran music scene from the inside out. The film follows the three main characters as they raced towards their respective goals. The path is lined with obstacles, some of which are insurmountable.

No One Knows Persian Cats, which was co-written by the director's fiancee Roaxana Saberi, has an urgency that reflects the dire reality faced by many Iranian musicians. The film was shot digitally in a run-and-gun documentary style, and moves quickly from spot to spot. The actors are basically playing themselves. Most forms of music have been banned by the Iranian authorities. The bands, who range from rock and hip-hop to jazz and metal, play music anywhere they can setup, including cramped basements and cow barns. Each show or recording session comes with the risk of being arrested and jailed. In fact, the director, who is of Iranian-Kurdish descent, was arrested twice during filming (lack of permits probably had something to do with it). If there is a fault with the film, it is the ending. Of all the potential resolutions to this story, the one that was chosen seems a bit too convenient. However, the ending is a minor flaw in an otherwise solid film.

IFC picked up No One Knows About Persian Cats from Wild Bunch in February 2010. After SXSW, the film will open in New York on April 16th, and will be available on VOD on the same date.