Radio Dreams (featuring Mohsen Namjoo) at Vancity Theatre

The wonderful Mohsen Namjoo stars as Hamid Royani, cultural standard-bearer at San Francisco’s Farsi-language radio station. Royani is a citizen who endeavours to keep his culture alive, fostering the transmission of Persian art and lore through radio. It’s hard work, and the rewards are sometimes pretty skimpy, but he keeps at it, a frazzled idealist in a down-and-dirty world. On this day, it looks like the station has scored a major coup: Afghan rockers Kabul Dreams are coming to town, to be joined at the station for a jam session with none other than… Metallica. It’s a chance for cultural exchange, for great publicity and, last but not least, for big bucks in the form of local advertising spots.

That’s right, it’s art vs. commerce once more, with a touch of backstage farce as well. The show must go on… but will those famous rockers actually show up? No spoilers here! This is a funny movie, make no mistake, but one with a little more on its mind than making you laugh. It’s a film for, and about, people who care about culture. As such, it has many moments of poignancy.

“Warm-hearted but tough-edged… a nuanced, intelligent and consistently droll take on hot-button subjects of immigration, identity and cultural assimilation.”—Neil Young, Hollywood Reporter