Based on real events, the film follows two young musicians, Negar and Ashkan, who are promised a gig in London and embark on a frantic mission to assemble a backing band. The couple have recently served prison terms for breaching the ban on Western and decadent music , and for Negar, these activities are particularly dangerous: as a female musician, unauthorised public performances can carry savage penalties. Now, they face a search for the elusive and costly paperwork that will permit them to leave for Europe. Teaming up with promoter and bootlegger Nader, their search takes them into Tehran and a vibrant underground culture of rappers, rockers, electro-artists and singer-songwriters who risk arrest to perform Western songs overlaid with their own politicised lyrics. But as Negar and Ashkan try to convince others to follow their lead, the risks that they are taking become all too apparent.