This screening is a part of the series "Hesitant Eyes, Turbulent Bodies: Documentaries on Contemporary Iran and Afghanistan".

What we see is not always what we expect to see. What we hear might just be static noise coming from afar. Nevertheless, we always yearn to see, to absorb, to imagine, to go beyond the here and now—especially if there is no other way to connect but through images. These three films by young Afghan and Iranian filmmakers are, above all, stories meant to unsettle the imagination. They create movements that flow between the films, between cities and urban landscapes, and between countries. They present visual experiences that not only urge the viewer to reflect but also to pause, to feel unhinged, and to observe the precarious lives of bodies whose passion and fierceness are often obstructed by a plethora of violence and uncertainty.

Forbidden Strings (2019): 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.

Location: Critical Media Lab, Peterson Hall, Room 108.