KIAROSTAMI.

Abbas kiarostami, the iranian equivalent of martin scorcese. the man responsible for upliftment of iranian cinema. I have been introduced to kiarostami by my brother and i'll remain indebted to him throughout my life. He is a master filmmaker with a special craving for mocumentary's. In the last few blog's you found me praising a lot of film maker's ranging from Nicholas Ray to werner herzog. And now, its kiarostami who is at the receiving end.


Simple is the word that best describe's kiarostami's cinema. Looking at the root's of iranian cinema. The parent year's of Iranian cinema was filled with blood. Film making has been viewed ambivalently in Iran ever since the early 1900's. The muslim cleric's opposed themselve's to the representation of face and body on screen. By the end of 1920 Film maker's found themselve's waging a war against these anti-cinema cleric's. History say's that about 180 theatre's were ruined and thousand's killed during this dark phase of Iranian Cinema. Noted Iranian film critic's cite this as a reason why Iranian Film maker's take ethical responsibilities of their choosen profession more seriously than their western counter part's. Coming back to kiarostami, the man redefined the very definition of Iranian cinema which was until then found itself swimming in the water's of serious cinema. " Nema Ya Nazdik" translated " close up " in english follow's the trial of an Imposter who trick's a family and make's them beleive that he is " Mohsen Makhmalbaf" who is a noted film maker in Iran. This got kiarostami instant recognition at international level.



kiarostami's cinematic language has little to do with the cerebral theorising of a godard, religious allegorising of a tarkovsky and erudite eccentricity of ruiz. Indeed praise for his films often mention their simplicity and believable character's. Kiarostami is one of the only few highly successful film makers who stayed back in his homeland even as many of his counterpart's have shifted their base signing million dollar deal's with the studio's. and when asked why the witty kiarostami uttered this " When you take a tree that is rooted in the ground, and transfer it from one place to another, the tree will no longer bear fruit. And if it does, the fruit will not be as good as it was in its original place. This is a rule of nature. I think if I had left my country, I would be the same as the tree " . I've seen a very little kiarostami but read extensively about him. " 10 " a film made by kiarostami with a set of cameras, a car, and a highly inexperienced cast is considered revolutionary by critics throughout the world. The film is a string of event's that took place in iran as seen from the eye's of a woman. The eyes are the cameras. We watch what the woman see's. Revolutionary indeed.



" Two digital Camera's, a car, and a set of actors, off you go".....Kiarostami in a press meet.