On my trip to Baluchistan to carry on the research for the movie A Song for the Dying,
​​​​​​​I found out that a music festival for provincial (local traditional) music of Sistan va Baluchistan province was going to held. That was the first festival ever held (which turned out to be the last as well) and thus provided us with a unique opportunity. We had not planned for anything in advance and this gave the film a true sense of reality, bringing the documentary closer to the spirit of Happening Art, making the final product more impressive. The film crew traveled to Chabahar, the port where the festival was to be held, with the musicians from the town of Iranshahr. All the musicians who had convened from different cities of the province stayed in the same lodgings. This was my chance to record their culture, personal stories, tribal beliefs, and their rich music traditions. Despite all their differences and tribal disagreements, they had come together for a few nights in music; as if the music obliterated all their troubles, pains, and frustrations; all the injustice that had been brought upon them. Letting the music take them away from reality seemed a conscious decision for them all. For them the festival was a moveable feast, for me it brought deep sadness.

Music and Forgetting

Director's Note​​​​​​​

Stills​​​​​​​

Writer and Director: Bahman Motamedian
Director of photography: Bahman Motamedian
Editor: Bahman Motamedian
Music: Various Artists
Stills Photographer:‌ Behzad Mosleh
Research: Mohsen Shahrnazdar
Production Manager: ​​​​​​​Emambakhsh Lashkarzehi
Assistant Director: ​​​​​​​Gholam Naroie

Cast & Credits