I Want to Be Different: Metal Rock in Tajikistan (2016)

Al Aziv, ProRock and Red Planet. Three Bands - one Obsession: Rock Metal! This sounds not extraordinary but it is in a country shaped by strong traditions and which is still struggling to find his way to the future. But there is a new generation in this former Soviet Republic, which faces long since many challenges, exacerbated by the combined effects of the civil war (1992-1997) and the economic and politic transition, with new questions, ideals and dreams. The youth of Tajikistan are finding their own paths, voicing their own concerns with the status quo and demonstrating their own identity. These young Metal-Heads are confronted by unique challenges of producing and performing music in a society so at odds with their own values. There might be different characters, different bands and different styles but there is only one message spread out through the sound of their music: I Want to Be Different.