The 2014 Audience Award for Best Film About Music at the 29th International Fajr Music Festival went to two films: “Peepah Sara” and “El Encuentro”.
“Peepah Sara” is a film by Keyvan Azad—musician, painter and filmmaker. Peepah is the name of an instrument brought by African immigrants to the south of Iran, in the Hormozgan province. Peepah Sara (Peepah Song writers) is a small local cultural institute where traditional Iranian instruments are taught alongside Western musical instruments to the young student body—which consists of both girls and boys. Located in an area stricken by poverty, Peepah Sara is surrounded by negative influences, yet it is a way out of trouble for youth of the Iran to learn about and participate in music.
“Peepah Sara” is not a film about the poverty of the people living in the province of Hormozgan, but about the lovely faces of the young people trying to bring back hope to
their lives with the power of music.
Speaking about his drive to make “Peepah Sara” and how the film came about, Keivan Azad said: “I had a planned to make a film about African-Iranians living in south of Iran, but when I went to Hormozgan for research I happened to visit “Peepah Sara” and it made me forget about the research and make a film about Peepah Sara. At the time, the Jahlah band was rehearsing for their concert in Sweden, and they also made for an interesting subject.”