Abbas Kiarostami

Key facts

Lived

1940–2016, Iranian^[2]

Movements

• poetry film
• Minimalism

^[2]

Wikipedia

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• What is Abbas Kiarostami known for?+

  Abbas Kiarostami is known for his films, especially the Koker trilogy (Where Is the Friend's Home?, And Life Goes On, Through the Olive Trees). His 1997^[2] film, Taste of Cherry, won the Palme d'Or at Cannes.
• What is Abbas Kiarostami's most famous work?+

  Abbas Kiarostami (1940^[2]-2016^[2]) was an Iranian^[2] film director, screenwriter, photographer, and film producer. He is known for his minimalist style, use of child protagonists, and blending of fiction with documentary film techniques. While Kiarostami has a large body of work across several media, he is best known for his films. Close-Up (1990^[2]) gained international attention for its narrative about impersonation and reality. The Koker trilogy (Where Is the Friend's Home?, 1987; And Life Goes On, 1992; Through the Olive Trees, 1994) explored themes of community and resilience in the aftermath of an earthquake. Taste of Cherry (1997) won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. The Wind Will Carry Us (1999) continued his exploration into rural Iranian life. Taste of Cherry is often cited as his most celebrated film, owing to its critical acclaim and award. However, Close-Up also remains a significant work, influencing filmmakers with its meta-narrative approach.
• What should I know about Abbas Kiarostami's prints?+

  Abbas Kiarostami (1940^[2]-2016^[2]) was an Iranian^[2] film director, screenwriter, photographer and producer. His work often explored themes of identity, reality, and the human condition, frequently employing minimalist techniques. Kiarostami's photographic prints share some of these qualities. Often, they are related to his film work, or even derived from it. They may consist of individual photographs, or be presented as diptychs or triptychs. These photographic editions were sometimes produced prior to the completion of the films themselves. This secured upfront income, and correlated with the buoyancy of the contemporary photography market. The edition claim is written as a pair of numbers on the left bottom margin of the print itself; it consists of a print number and an edition number written as a group with a short separating line between them. The title of the print is written in the middle of the bottom margin of the print. The signature is on the right of the bottom margin of the print. Edition descriptions are always signed in pencil.
• What style or movement did Abbas Kiarostami belong to?+

  Abbas Kiarostami (1940^[2]-2016^[2]) was an Iranian^[2] film director, screenwriter, photographer, and producer. He is often associated with Iranian New Wave cinema; this movement began in the 1960s. Iranian New Wave films typically feature poetic and philosophical tones. They often employ realism and naturalistic acting. These films frequently address social and political issues, sometimes using allegory and symbolism to circumvent censorship. Kiarostami's work shares many of these characteristics. His films often blur the lines between fiction and documentary. He frequently used non-professional actors and shot on location. Examples include *Close-Up* (1990^[2]), which reconstructs a real-life event, and *Through the Olive Trees* (1994), a film about the making of his earlier film, *And Life Goes On* (1992). These techniques are consistent with the New Wave's emphasis on realism and its departure from traditional cinematic conventions. Kiarostami's minimalist style and focus on everyday life, along with his innovative narrative structures, have had a significant impact on global cinema.
• What techniques or materials did Abbas Kiarostami use?+

  Abbas Kiarostami was a film director, screenwriter, photographer and artist. His techniques varied depending on the medium. In painting, technique is more than just a method; it is the organisation and shaping of raw material to achieve artistic intentions. Some artists work instinctively, while others begin with ideas and feelings, then apply craft to express them. Artists' materials, such as canvas, stucco, paper, stone, and glass, influence the surface characteristics of a work. Texture can support elements externally or contrast with them, offering variation. The materials and tools used to create the material form of elements are also important. Knowledge of materials is necessary not only for production but also for dematerialisation.
• What was Abbas Kiarostami known for?+

  Abbas Kiarostami (1940^[2]-2016^[2]) was an Iranian^[2] film director, screenwriter, photographer and producer. An active figure from the 1970s onward, Kiarostami is known for his minimalist aesthetic and his poetic approach to storytelling. He often employed simple, straightforward imagery, yet imbued his films with layers of meaning. His films frequently blurred the lines between fiction and documentary. He explored themes of identity, reality, and the human condition. His work often featured natural settings and ordinary people, and he favoured long takes and naturalistic dialogue. His style has been likened to that of minimalist art, reducing elements to their essence. He aimed to find emotional dimensions by slightly modifying objects without changing their original function. Kiarostami's films gained international recognition, influencing filmmakers worldwide.
• When did Abbas Kiarostami live and work?+

  Abbas Kiarostami was born on 22 June 1940^[2] in Tehran, Iran. He became a significant figure in Iranian^[2] cinema, known for his minimalist and humanistic approach to filmmaking. Kiarostami's career spanned several decades, starting in the late 1960s. Initially, he worked at a children's film institute, where he developed his skills and began exploring themes relevant to Iranian society. His early works often focused on the lives of children and their interactions with the world around them. Throughout the 1980s and 1990s, Kiarostami gained international recognition for films such as "Where Is the Friend's Home?" (1987^[2]), "Close-Up" (1990), and "Through the Olive Trees" (1994). These films, set in rural Iran, explored themes of identity, reality, and the complexities of human relationships. His work often blurred the lines between fiction and documentary, inviting viewers to question the nature of cinematic representation. Kiarostami continued to make films that challenged conventional storytelling techniques. He worked internationally, shooting films in locations such as Italy and Japan. Abbas Kiarostami died on 4 July 2016^[2] in Paris, France, leaving behind a body of work that has had a considerable impact on world cinema.
• Where can I see Abbas Kiarostami's work?+

  Abbas Kiarostami's work can be viewed in a number of public collections internationally. These include the British Museum, London; the Musée du Louvre, Paris; and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. His pieces also appear in the collections of the Los Angeles County Museum of Art; the Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto; and the Seattle Art Museum. Other museums that hold Kiarostami's art are the Freer Gallery of Art and the Arthur M. Sackler Gallery, Smithsonian Institution, in Washington, DC; the Calouste Gulbenkian Museum, Lisbon; and the Gemeentemuseum den Haag, The Hague. Further afield, his work is held by the Middle East Culture Centre, Tokyo; and the State Hermitage Museum, St. Petersburg, Russia. Some works are also held in private collections.
• Where was Abbas Kiarostami from?+

  Abbas Kiarostami was Iranian^[2]. Although details on his early life are scarce in the provided texts, context can be gleaned from the background of another Iranian artist, Shirin Neshat, who, like Kiarostami, has explored themes of Iranian identity and culture in her work. Neshat was born in Qazvin, Iran, in 1957^[2]. At the age of seventeen, she was sent abroad to study in the United States. The 1979 Iranian Revolution, which transformed Iran from a secular society into an Islamic society, led by a fundamentalist cleric, stranded her in the United States. She was unable to return to Iran until 1990, after the death of Ayatollah Khomeini. Like Neshat, Kiarostami's artistic vision was shaped by his Iranian background and, for some artists, by the experience of displacement and cultural transformation.
• Who did Abbas Kiarostami influence?+

  Abbas Kiarostami (1940^[2]-2016^[2]) was an Iranian^[2] film director, screenwriter, photographer and film producer. His influence is most readily seen in film, although his photography has also been praised. Kiarostami's films often employ neorealist techniques, such as using non-professional actors and shooting on location. His work frequently explores themes of childhood, identity, and the boundary between fiction and reality. Critics suggest he had an impact on world cinema through his minimalist style, which favours long takes and naturalistic dialogue. Filmmakers who have cited Kiarostami as an influence include Jafar Panahi, Asghar Farhadi, and Mania Akbari, all from Iran. Other directors, such as Nuri Bilge Ceylan (Turkey), Cristian Mungiu (Romania), and Elia Suleiman (Palestine), have also acknowledged his impact on their approach to filmmaking. His influence extends beyond the Middle East and Europe, with some North American independent filmmakers also citing him as inspiration. Kiarostami's films have been studied in film schools globally, which has further disseminated his techniques and artistic vision.
• Who influenced Abbas Kiarostami?+

  Abbas Kiarostami (1940^[2]-2016^[2]) was an Iranian^[2] film director, screenwriter, photographer and film producer. Although primarily known for his films, he also worked in other media, including photography. Identifying specific influences on Kiarostami is complex, as his artistic development was shaped by a range of factors. Some commentators have pointed to the influence of Italian Neorealism on Kiarostami's work. Neorealist films often feature simple narratives, naturalistic acting, and a focus on everyday life. These elements are present in Kiarostami's films, such as "Where Is the Friend's Home?" (1987^[2]). This film uses a simple story about a child trying to return a classmate's notebook to explore themes of responsibility and empathy. Kiarostami's minimalist style and focus on realism also connect to broader trends in art cinema. His films often blur the lines between fiction and documentary, inviting viewers to question the nature of reality itself. This approach has resonated with audiences and critics interested in experimental and thought-provoking cinema.
• Who was Abbas Kiarostami?+

  Abbas Kiarostami (1940^[2]-2016^[2]) was an Iranian^[2] film director, screenwriter, photographer and producer. He is known for his minimalist, humanistic films that often blurred the lines between fiction and documentary. Kiarostami began his career making commercials and educational films for children in the 1960s. He then helped establish a film department at the Kanun, the Institute for Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults. His early works include "The Traveller" (1974^[2]) and "First Case, Second Case" (1979). He gained international recognition in the 1990s with films like "Where Is the Friend's Home?" (1987), "Close-Up" (1990), "Life, and Nothing More..." (1992), and "Through the Olive Trees" (1994). These films, sometimes referred to as the Koker trilogy, explore themes of childhood, community, and the impact of the 1990 earthquake in Iran. Kiarostami won the Palme d'Or at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival for "Taste of Cherry", a film that deals with questions of mortality and the value of life. He continued to make films that challenged narrative conventions, such as "The Wind Will Carry Us" (1999) and "Shirin" (2008).