DEEP DIVE: Abbas Kiarostami's Constructed Realism

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This is a watch-at-home and discuss in-person event.

It's never too soon to plan a DEEP DIVE and for this one, we'll looking at the singular works of one of my biggest blind spots in World Cinema, the Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami.

Well, the spot is not totally blind because I have seen Certified Copy with Juliette Binoche a long time ago--probably one of my first arthouse film exposures back in days of being wild. I remember being mystified by the way that film shifts around not only the narrative but also roles, as a reminder that these ideas are free to mutate during the course of a film.

Kiarostami has an extensive, acclaimed filmography that I had a hard time picking the films for this deep dive. Ideally, we'd watch all of them! However, I've settled on a mix of his most acclaimed works to get us all a sample of Kiarostami's artistry.

Please watch all the films before the discussion but if you can only watch a few, you're still welcome. Please let me know if you cannot find any of the films! Also we have a reserved space so please be courteous to the business place and keep your RSVP updated. Happy watching!!!

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Official Selection:

Where is the Friend's House? (1987)
Synopsis: Eight-year-old Ahmed has mistakenly taken his friend Mohammad's school notebook and determinedly sets out to find his home in the neighboring village. (This is the first installation in the Koker trilogy)
Close-Up (1990)
Synopsis: The true story of Hossain Sabzian, a cinephile who impersonated the director Mohsen Makhmalbaf to convince a family they would star in his so-called new film.
Taste of Cherry (1997)
Synopsis: An Iranian man drives his car in search of someone who will quietly bury him under a cherry tree after he commits suicide.
The Wind Will Carry Us (1999)
Synopsis: Irreverent city engineer Behzad comes to a rural village in Iran to keep vigil for a dying relative.

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Some precursor reads and watches regarding Kiarostami before the discussion if you're interested!