In Brief

Active 1962–2016. One of the most prominent and internationally recognized figures of Iranian and world cinema, Kiyārustamī, who was graduated in painting from the University of Tehran, began his professional artistic career in the 1960s by designing posters and book covers as a graphic designer and then making film titles. he entered the field of filmmaking in the 1970s. As a member of the Iranian New Wave cinema movement of the 1960s, a director, screenwriter, and film producer, he made over forty films. These include critically acclaimed works such as: Khānah-’i dūst kujāst? (Where Is the Friend’s Home? 1987), Namā-yi nazdīk (Close-Up, 1990), Bād mā rā khvāhad burd (The Wind Will Carry Us, 1999) and Ṭaʿm-i gīlās (Taste of Cherry, 1997), the latter becoming the first Iranian film to win the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Kiyārustamī’s films are noteworthy for his innovative directing style and his use of contemporary Iranian poetry in film titles, dialogue, and overall themes. He is also known for his thoughtful and contemplative works of slow cinema using stationary mounted cameras and long takes. His use of child protagonists (especially in his early films in collaboration with KPF), conversations unfolding inside cars and documentary-style narrative based on stories taking place in rural areas create a propitious atmosphere to put forward his concepts of life and death, and change and continuity of human nature. Some film analysts , such as Michelle Langford ( Associate Professor in Film Studies and a fellow of the UNSW) believe that Kiyārustamī’s naturalistic approach to film storytelling can be seen as a continuation of the  great experiences of Suhrāb Shahīd S̱ālis̱ ( 1944–1998),  who was one of the prominent  Iran new wave filmmakers in the 1960s.