Afsaneh Salari likes to tell real stories that are touching and relevant.

When the first-time director Hasan Noori pitched to Salari about an aspiring rock band in Iran traveling into the heart of Afghanistan to play a rock concert—it was a subject not to miss.

The documentary The Forbidden Strings is a story of hope and dreams about four young people who had to break tradition in order to express themselves with music.

Here’s the long synopsis:

They’ve been making music together for years, despite the disapproval of the people around them. Akbar, Soori, Mohammed, and Hakim are the only young immigrants in Iran who have formed a rock band. All they miss now is an opportunity to play live. The Forbidden Strings shows the musical foursome struggling to get themselves heard, and follows them in the run-up to a historic day.

As the title suggests, they face quite a few challenges along the way. All four band members are children of Afghan parents who fled to Iran, and that means they face dangers if they return to their homeland. Their families are worried about their show, but they realize what they’re up against soon after arriving. Clearly, Afghanistan is still a very dangerous place.

The moments of joy are infectious, but the sobering reality is always lurking. An honest film about four young people who have to break with tradition to express themselves.

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LRM Online’s Gig Patta spoke with producer Afsaneh Salari about The Forbidden Strings documentary. We talked about the director Hasan Noori and her guidance for the new filmmaker. Also, we discussed the dangers of filming in Afghanistan, in which danger can lurk behind any corner.

Afsaneh Salari is an Iranian director, producer, and editor based in Tehran and Paris. She’s the co-founder of Docmaniacs collective. She received a BA in film editing from the Art University of Tehran, a Master’s degree in creative directing and cinematography from Paris 8 University in France, and a Master’s degree in documentary directing from Docnomads Joint Masters. The past documentaries that she directed included No Man’s Land, The Silhouettes, Rendez-vous, The Room, and Madame Servante.

The Forbidden Strings is currently playing at the Santa Barbara International Film Festival 2021 this week.

Watch the exclusive interview with Afsaneh Salari below. Let us know what you think.

Source: LRM Online Exclusive, Venera Films