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Fresh Air Weekend: 'Persian Version' filmmaker; Electronic music producer TOKiMONSTA

Maryam Keshavarz was banned from returning to Iran in 2011 after the release of her first feature, <em>Circumstance</em>.
Fred Hayes
/
Getty Images for SAGindie
Maryam Keshavarz was banned from returning to Iran in 2011 after the release of her first feature, Circumstance.

Fresh Air Weekend highlights some of the best interviews and reviews from past weeks, and new program elements specially paced for weekends. Our weekend show emphasizes interviews with writers, filmmakers, actors and musicians, and often includes excerpts from live in-studio concerts. This week:

Banned in Iran, a filmmaker finds inspiration in her mother for 'The Persian Version': Loosely based on Maryam Keshavarz's own life, The Persian Version centers on an Iranian American woman who identifies as bisexual and whose mother entered into an arranged marriage as a teen.

'Archives' box set surveys a crucial part of Joni Mitchell's pop career: The five discs in Joni Mitchell Archives Vol. 3, The Asylum Years (1972-1975) represent both a summation of Mitchell's pop achievement and a harbinger of her later, more experimental work.

Brain surgery left TOKiMONSTA unable to understand music. Now every song is precious: Electronic music producer and DJ Jennifer Lee — aka TOKiMONSTA — underwent two brain surgeries in 2016 that temporarily stripped her of her ability to understand words or music.

You can listen to the original interviews and review here:

Banned in Iran, a filmmaker finds inspiration in her mother for 'The Persian Version'

'Archives' box set surveys a crucial part of Joni Mitchell's pop career

Brain surgery left TOKiMONSTA unable to understand music. Now every song is precious

Copyright 2023 Fresh Air. To see more, visit Fresh Air.

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SOMOS CONNECTICUT es una iniciativa de Connecticut Public, la emisora local de NPR y PBS del estado, que busca elevar nuestras historias latinas y expandir programación que alza y informa nuestras comunidades latinas locales. Visita CTPublic.org/latino para más reportajes y recursos. Para noticias, suscríbase a nuestro boletín informativo en ctpublic.org/newsletters.

The independent journalism and non-commercial programming you rely on every day is in danger.

If you’re reading this, you believe in trusted journalism and in learning without paywalls. You value access to educational content kids love and enriching cultural programming.

Now all of that is at risk.

Federal funding for public media is under threat and if it goes, the impact to our communities will be devastating.

Together, we can defend it. It’s time to protect what matters.

Your voice has protected public media before. Now, it’s needed again. Learn how you can protect the news and programming you depend on.