I always was a music lover, but sadly when I was growing up in Tehran everything was banned. Later on and during one of my trips from London to Iran to visit my family, and before I return to live there, I met a young guitarist who was working with the band O-HUM, making what they called Persian rock music with poetry of Hafez.
This was around 2001 and before I return to live there in 2003. The guitarist was living in an old area in north Tehran. The building was located in a narrow alley way, the front door neighbor was a lady who sold cigarettes and Coca Cola from her home and wore a colorful chador, and from the Roof of the building one could see the view of Tehran and Alborz mountains: Huge, strong and beautiful during the day and mesmerizing at nights.
It was there that I was inspired to make Not an illusion, I mean Tehran my home town, Poetry, and the music of the alternative musicians of my generation who were struggling to be heard, made me begin a vast research. In Summer 2003 and many months after meeting Sara, I began making this film.
Not an illusion is a story of Hope, resistance, individual efforts and the importance of music in our life. It is the story of those who had no part in the war and revolution but suffering the consequences. It is the Story of a human, a young woman, a singer who is in search of her voice in a society full of contradictions and confused between modernity and tradition.
This documentary has been produced personally and with the support of musicians and individuals in and outside Iran. Also the crew members and few others who cared about the project and believed in it has supported I tone way or another during the past years.
In time, I will write in details about the process of research, production and post-production of NOT AN ILLUSION which was done between 2003 and 2009, which could reflect the ups and downs and the chaotic situation we are living in as Iranians and in an important part of the history.
Torang Abedian.