Forbidden To See Us Scream In Tehran: The Iranian Women In Metal

Forbidden To See Us Scream In Tehran is the new film from director Farbod Ardebili, highlighting the censorship on women in music in Iran. Following the Islamic revolution of 1979 there have been strict laws imposed on women in Iran, particularly in pursuing creative or independent tasks.

Women are banned from making solo music, (choirs or women-only groups are permitted) and the severe legal consequences of flogging or jail time are imposed to serve as a deterrent. However, many women in Iran refuse to be governed by the fear imposed on them, and continue to make and perform heavy metal in secret underground venues. The Iranian women in metal will not be silenced. Highlighting the real dangers these women musicians battle against is a true story, brought to life in a new narrative by Ardebili in this award-winning short film based on the reality of life in Iran.

Forbidden To See Us Scream In Tehran

Where women can’t sing… as it is punishable by law. The frontwoman for an Iranian death metal band risks everything as she plots to call the cops on her own underground concert in the hopes that the raid will help her secure her asylum in another country. On one hand, this plan could send the group and the audience to prison for blasphemy, while on the other hand, this could hit the international news and enable the band to secure asylum. It is a dilemma on individualism, until the last straw pushes lead singer Shima to decide to go ahead with the plan –  after her deaf sister Sherin is accosted by a random man in the street for allegedly showing too much hair, Shima concludes that she has to fight and find her voice.

The film is written and directed by Farbod Ardebili who also wrote the songs for the film in collaboration with Alberto Anaya who wrote the score, and is produced by Victoria Razevska Hill, Soroush Arayesh, Patrick Reasonover, and Sarah Jane Murray. The film stars Mohadeseh Kharaman in the lead role as front woman Shima, with co-stars Sarina Amiri, Ashkan Hoorsun and Babak Kamangir.

Director Farbod Ardebili, speaking to the BBC said:

“Metal music, by its nature, can be very aggressive, and many in Iran are very angry, so that makes metal music a perfect outlet for frustration. Women are not allowed to sing solo or perform in any genre, let alone metal, so as you can imagine, it can be much riskier for women.”

There are restrictions on musical performances in Iran, with strict policing of concerts that are permitted. Joining Ardebili virtually speaking to the BBC, Mona Shams, a singer who left Iran in order to be able to pursue her musical career further concurred:

“As a metal lead singer, as a leader who is singing underground metal music, that is another level of fear.”

While the film is centred around the music scene and how these rights are lacking for women, the ripple effect of wider problems and discussions simply cannot be ignored in the narrative. Ardebili cleverly highlights the lack of freedom afforded to women while raising the wider plight of refugees, of those who are refused asylum, and the conversations around what qualifies as violence persecution, oppression and conversely freedom. Ardebili demonstrates that if these parameters are afforded to only some who qualify as persecuted people, then it seems questionable to argue that this hugely complex area is not political.

Although the film’s story is fiction, Ardebili is said to have created the story based on true happenings from his real life experiences. The director has lived in exile in the USA since 2014, and subsequently worked on the film remotely. So far, Forbidden To See Us Scream In Tehran has been nominated for and won several awards including: Best Actress going to Mohadeseh Kharaman at the 2021 Beverly Hills Film Festival, along with Best International Short Film of 2021 at both the Cordillera International Film Festival and the SENE Film, Music and Art Festival, as well as scooping the Best Director award at the Ouray International Film Festival. There are also talks around adapting it to a feature length film from Ardebili himself.

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