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Director

Abbas Kiarostami

Iranian · b. June 22, 1940 – d. July 14 2016
Profile

Abbas Kiarostami (Persian: عباس کیارستمی [ʔæbˌbɒːs kijɒːɾostæˈmi] ; 22 June 1940 – 4 July 2016) was an Iranian film director, screenwriter, poet, photographer, and film producer. An active filmmaker from 1970, Kiarostami had been involved in the production of over forty films, including shorts and documentaries. Kiarostami attained critical acclaim for directing the Koker trilogy (1987–1994), Close-Up (1990), The Wind Will Carry Us (1999), and Taste of Cherry (1997), which was awarded the Palme

Thematic context drawn from Senses of Cinema. Read the full critical essay →
Critical Essay (Excerpt)

b. June 22, 1940, Tehran, Iran.

Source: Senses of Cinema — Great Directors
In Their Own Words

Kiarostami repeatedly cited Michelangelo Antonioni as a major influence, pointing to L'Avventura and L'Eclisse in particular for their daring narratives and profound visual language regarding alienation.

On L’Eclisse  ·  Criterion Collection essay for Certified Copy by Godfrey Cheshire
Filmography (123)
24 Frames (, feature) 114 min 2017
Víctor Erice – Abbas Kiarostami: Correspondence (, feature) 96 min 2016
Venice 70: Future Reloaded (, feature) 120 min 2013
Like Someone in Love (, feature) Prod: Abbas Kiarostami, Charles Gillibert, Nathanaël Karmitz. Sc: Abbas Kiarostami. D.P.: Katsumi Yanagijima. Ed: Bahman Kiarostami. Cast: Tadashi Okuno (Takashi Watanabe), Rin Takanashi (Akiko), Ryô Kase (Noriaki). 109 min. Colour, digital video. 2012
Copie conforme 2010
Shirin (, feature) Prod: Abbas Kiarostami, Hamideh Razavi. Sc: Abbas Kiarostami. D.P.: Mahmoud Kalari. Ed.: Abbas Kiarostami, Arash Sadeghi. 92 min. Colour, digital video transferred to 35mm. 2008
10 on Ten (, documentary feature) Prod: Marin Karmitz (MK2 Productions), Abbas Kiarostami. 87 min. Colour, digital video. 2004
Five (, documentary feature) Prod: Behnegar, NHK, MK2 Productions. D.P.: Abbas Kiarostami. Ed: Abbas Kiarostami. 74 min. Colour, digital video. 2003
Dah 2002
A.B.C. Africa (, documentary feature) Asst. dir: Seiffollah Samadian. D.P/ed: Abbas Kiarostami and Seiffollah Samadian. Music: unidentified guitar and local Ugandan music, “Blue Danube Waltz” (Strauss). 84 min. Colour, digital video transferred to 35mm. 2001
: For a video installation presented at the Venice Biennale, Kiarostami taped a sleeping young couple, and projected their life-size image for 100 minutes on a bed with pillows and sheets in an actual room. 2001
65) Plaque of First Human Rights Declaration of the University of California at Berkeley, USA 2000
63) Honorary Prize of the 18 th Fajr International Film festival for Film Career of Abbas Kiarostami, Tehran, Iran 2000
62) Selected as the Most Outstanding Filmmaker of ’90s at the Polling of Cinematheque Ontario, Canada 2000
70) Political Cinema Award of Recanati, Italy 2000
69) Lifetime Achievement for Abbas Kiarostami at the 3 rd Beirut Film Festival, Lebanon 2000
68) Special Plaque of Lebanese Ministry of Culture and Art, Lebanon 2000
67) Akira Kurosawa Honorary Award of the 43 rd San Francisco International Film Festival, USA 2000
66) The Golden Dolphin of Kish Island for Lifetime Achievement in Cinema, Iran 2000
64) The Best Filmmaker of ’90s, Film Comment Poll, USA 2000
56) Jury Special Prize for The Wind Will Carry Us at the 56th Venice International Film Festival, Italy 1999
Willow and Wind 1999
The Wind Will Carry Us 1999
61) Honorary Golden Alexander Prize for Film Career of Abbas Kiarostami at the 40 th Thessaloniki International Film Festival, Greece 1999
60) Special Prize for Film career of Abbas Kiarostami at the 21 st Montpellier International Mediterranean Film Festival, France 1999
59) Golden Plaque of Panorama of European Cinema for Film Career of Abbas Kiarostami, Athens, Greece 1999
58) The Youth Prize of Future Cinema for The Wind Will Carry Us at the 56 th Venice International Film Festival, Italy 1999
57) FIPRESCI Award for The Wind Will Carry Us at the 56 th Venice International Film Festival, Italy 1999
55) Special Prize of Masters for Abbas Kiarostami at the 18th Istanbul International Film Festival, Turkey 1999
54) Taste of Cherry selected as the Best Foreign Film of the Year by the National Society of Film Critics, USA 1998
53) Taste of Cherry selected as the Best Foreign Film of the Year by Society of Film Critics of Boston, USA 1998
50) Vittorio De Sica Memorial Award for Film Career of Abbas Kiarostami from Vittorio De Sica Foundation, Italy 1997
47) Palme d’Or for Best Film for Taste of Cherry at the 50th Cannes International Film Festival, France 1997
48) Special award of Feast of Cinema for Abbas Kiarostami at the 2nd Feast of Cinema, Tehran 1997
49) Special Prize of Festival for Film Career of Abbas Kiarostami at the 27th Giffoni International Film Festival, Italy 1997
51) UNESCO Special award for Film Career of Abbas Kiarostami from UNESCO, France 1997
52) Taste of Cherry selected as the Best Film of the Year by Time magazine in 1997
Birth of Light 1997
Taste of Cherry 1997
46) Officier de la Legion d’Honneur from Ministry of Culture and Art of France 1996
45) Director of the Year, the Variety International Film Guide 1996
42) Best Film Award for Where is the Friend’s House? at the Rome Summer Film Festival, Italy 1995
41) Golden Rose Award of Best Film for Through the Olive Trees at the 13th Bergamo Film Meeting, Italy 1995
40) Award of Best Director for Through the Olive Trees at the 8th Singapore International Film Festival 1995
The White Balloon 1995
The Journey 1995
44) Pier Paolo Pasolini Award for Film Career of Abbas Kiarostami from Pier Paolo Pasolini Foundation, Rome 1995
A Propos de Nice, la suite (, feature of sketches). Prod: Margo Films (France). 105 min., colour, 35 mm. French language. A film of several episodes, each inspired by Jean Vigo’s experimental documentary about Nice 1995
43) The Third Best Audience Film Prize for Through the Olive Trees at the 44th Melbourne International Film Festival, Australia 1995
37) Silver Hugo for Through the Olive Trees at the 30th Chicago International Film festival, USA 1994
Through the Olive Trees 1994
38) Golden Spike for Through the Olive Trees at the 39th Valladolid International Film Festival, Spain 1994
39) Special award of Critics for Through the Olive Trees at the 18th Sao Paulo International Film Festival, Brazil 1994
33) Prize of City of Rimini for Film Career of Abbas Kiarostami at the 6th Rimini International Film Festival, Italy 1993
34) Special award of festival for Film career of Abbas Kiarostami at the 6th Rimini International Film Festival, Italy 1993
35) Special Award of Critics for Life and Nothing More… at the 17th Sao Paulo International Film festival, Brazil 1993
32) François Truffaut Award for Film Career of Abbas Kiarostami at the 23rd Giffoni International Film Festival, Italy 1993
36) Golden Spike for Film Career of Abbas Kiarostami at the 38th Valladolid International Film Festival, Spain 1993
31) Prix Cine Decouvertes for Life and Nothing More… from the Association of Belgian Film Distributors 1992
Life and Nothing More…/…And Life Goes On 1992
27) CINEKID Award for Where is the Friend’s House? at the 5th Cinekid International Children Film Festival of Amsterdam, The Netherlands 1992
30) Best Film Award of Un Certain Regard for Life and Nothing More… at the 45th Cannes International Film Festival. France 1992
29) Roberto Rossellini Award for the Film Career of Abbas Kiarostami at the 45th Cannes International Film Festival, France 1992
28) FIPRESCI Prize for Close-Up at the 11th Istanbul International Film Festival, Turkey 1992
25) Prize of the City of Dunkerque for Close-Up at the 5th Dunkerque International Film Festival, France 1991
26) Film Students Prize for Close-Up at the 5th Dunkerque International Film Festival,France 1991
23) Prize of Best Director for Close-Up at the 5th Dunkerque International Film Festival, France 1991
24) Press Prize for Close-Up at the 5th Dunkerque International Film Festival, France 1991
20) Silver R for Close-Up at the 3rd Rimini International Film Festival, Italy 1990
22) Prize of Quebec Critics Association for Close-Up at the 19th Montreal International Festival of New Cinema & Video, Canada 1990
21) Best Film Award for Where is the Friend’s House? at the International Film Festival of the Royal Film Archive of Belgium 1990
Homework 1990
19) Jury Special Prize for Close-Up at the 8th Fajr International Film Festival, Tehran 1990
Close-Up 1990
14) FIPRESCI Special Mention for Where is the Friend’s House? at the 42nd Locarno International Film Festival, Switzerland 1989
18) Prize of International Confederation of Art Cinemas for Where is the Friend’s House? at RCC, France 1989
17) Barclay Jury Prize for Where is the Friend’s House? at the 42nd Locarno International Film Festival, Switzerland 1989
16) Ecumenical Jury’s Special Mention for Where is the Friend’s House? at the 42nd Locarno International Film Festival, Switzerland 1989
15) Prize of International Confederation of Art Cinemas for Where is the Friend’s House? at the 42nd Locarno International Film Festival, Switzerland 1989
13) Bronze Leopard for Where is the Friend’s House? at the 42nd Locarno International Film Festival, Switzerland 1989
The Three Faces of a School Proctor 1989
The Wild Irises 1989
11) Golden Plaque of Best Director for Where is the Friend’s House? at the 5th Fajr International Film Festival, Tehran 1987
12) Jury Special Award for Where is the Friend’s House? at the 5th Fajr International Film Festival, Tehran 1987
Where is the Friend’s House?/Where is the Friend’s Home? 1987
Taste of Cherry/The Taste of Cherry 1987
The Key 1986
10) Jury Special Award for First Graders at the 4th Fajr International Film Festival, Tehran 1986
First Graders 1985
The Moments 1985
I, Myself 1985
Class Bell , Recess Bell 1984
Fear and Suspicion 1984
9) Golden Plaque of Best Short Film for The Chorus at the 2nd Fajr International Film Festival, Tehran 1984
The Look 1984
Fellow Citizen 1983
The Chorus 1982
Orderly or Disorderly/Regularly or Irregularly 1981
Toothache 1980
The Driver 1980
8) Best Film Award for Case No. 1, Case No. 2 at the Iranian Festival of Films for Children and Young Adults 1979
Case No. 1, Case No. 2 1979
Solution 1978
Report 1977
How We Should Use Our Free Time 1977
Tribute to the Teachers 1977
7) Diploma of Honor for A Wedding Suit at the 10th Moscow International Film Festival, Soviet Union 1977
The Colours 1976
The Wedding Suit 1976
5) Special Diploma of Critics for A Wedding Suit at the 11th Tehran International Festival of Films for the Children and Young Adults, Iran 1976
6) First Prize for Two Solutions for One Problem at the International Educational Festival of Mexico 1976
So Can I 1975
Two Solutions for One Problem 1975
2) First Prize in Narrative Category for The Experience at the 4th Giffoni International Film Festival, Italy 1974
3) Jury’s Grand Prize for The Traveler at the 9th Tehran International Festival of Films for Children and Young Adults, Iran 1974
The Traveler 1974
4) National TV Prize for The Traveler at the 9th Tehran International Festival of Films for Children and Young Adults, Iran 1974
The Experience 1973
Jahan Nama Palace 1972
Recess/Breaktime 1972
Bread and Alley 1970
1) Jury Special Award for Bread And Alley at the 5th Tehran International Festival of Films for Children and Young Adults, Iran 1970
-69: makes commercials and credits titles for films (e.g., Masud Kimiaie’s Ghaysar and Reza Motori , The Window ; Satan’s Temptation 1961