The Persian kamancheh—one of the oldest and most influential instruments in Eastern culture—may be in danger of vanishing from the world stage. Directed by Bahman Kiarostami, the two-part documentary Kamancheh introduces Western audiences to this instrument and to the lives of the musicians who have dedicated themselves to it.

Played by a master, the kamancheh produces notes that could only be described as penetrating, poignant, and transcendent. In the words of renowned kamancheh artist Kayhan Kalhor, "It seems to come from a far distance and a far time and reach into parts of the soul that you haven't encountered before."

Part one of the documentary, Kamancheh, takes viewers on a journey to the provinces of Lorestan, Khorasan, Mazandaran, and Golestan of Iran to meet master players of the kamancheh. In these regions, ancient traditions are painstakingly preserved; mentors perpetuate their craft exclusively through oral transmission to a dwindling generation of apprentices. The film explores the instrument through the eyes of an eccentric and fascinating group of regional artists, all struggling to make their way. The journey ends in Tehran with an informative interview with Kayhan Kalhor, who has a formidable international reputation as a virtuoso on the kamancheh.