"It's a summer evening in Tehran, and the streets of the Iranian capital are lively. A young creative couple, an actor and a dancer, coolly take in a performance from a band of street musicians. This country is so full of artists, the man, Ali (Farzad Karen), says to Hanna (Hana Mana). She replies warily: Let's see if they stay like this."
"Under Iran's theocratic regime, creative expression is a risky and unstable endeavor. The government tightly polices the contents of all art visual works, theater, music, film, literature for strict adherence to state ideology. Failure to receive a permit could result in fines, imprisonment or banishment. The colorful characters amiably populating this loose, organic film, played by a collective of real-life underground artists and improv actors, are liable to be harassed, fined, arrested or disappeared at any moment."
The Friend's House Is Here follows a group of underground artists in Tehran as they rehearse, socialize and perform amid constant threat. A young actor and dancer observe street musicians and worry whether artistic freedom will persist. Theocratic censorship requires permits for visual art, theater, music, film and literature, with penalties including fines, imprisonment and banishment. Filmmakers shot outdoor scenes in one or two takes without government permission to avoid arrest. The cast were denied visas to Sundance and the crew smuggled the film out during an internet blackout. The film emphasizes conviviality and creative resilience rather than overt polemic.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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