The Titanic International Film Festival is famed for (among other things) its separate section of films centering on music. And not only does this year’s selection sound better than ever (pun not intended) but there will also be a concert alongside the movies.
So music buffs, take your pick from the music documentaries (Blur’s No Distance Left To Run, Under Great Northern Lights with The White Stripes and/or All Tomorrow’s Parties)! There is one film that would be particularly silly to miss, the Iranian No One Knows About Persian Cats which swept the Un Certain Regard Special Jury Prize in Cannes in 2009. Director Bahman Ghobadi shows us the dangers involved in playing Western music in a country where it’s strictly forbidden to engage in such decadent activities through the adventures of musicians from Tehran.
The film was shot in secret and the actors – Ashkan Koshanejad, who’s already been locked up for giving an unauthorized gig, and his girlfriend Negar, who, as a woman, takes even more risk being a singer – had to flee Iran because of the movie. The duo currently resides in London, playing Oriental-flavored but Western-friendly indie-rock, under the name Take It Easy Hospital. And, between a gig in London and one in the Big Apple, they will visit Budapest to become the main act of Titanic Film Festival’s official party, the Persian Cats Party on April 13th at Gödör! Biorobot, the new formation of two celebrated Hungarian lead singers-songwriters-guitarists, Róbert Bérczesi and András Nemes, will be supporting them.
17th Titanic Film Festival Screenings April 8-18
Toldi, Uránia, Kino and Örökmozgó cinemas
Persian Cats Party April 13
Gödör
1051 Budapest, Erzsébet tér
Tel.: +36.20.201.3868