Ja'az chronicles the history of jazz music in Iran, an exploration based on the research conducted with ethnomusicologist Farbod Ghanaei. It sheds light on the severe repression faced by artists under the Islamic regime in Iran following the 1979 revolution. Through the parallel interplay of the two characters, archival footage, and interviews, the film weaves together a narrative that captures the resilience and struggles of these musicians. From the vibrant pre-revolution jazz scene to the aftermath of political upheaval, it showcases the transformative power of jazz as a symbol of freedom, defying the constraints imposed by the regime.
Ja’az was a challenge for me to explore the comedy world along with making a documentary with my team. The pre-production phase began with a conversation with Farbod Ghanaei and an imagination of a desert in my mind, later it was developed by adding two characters in the script as hosts of a show (which is the documentary itself) that takes place in a salt lake Hoz-e Soltan.
