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.

The Feature does not reconcile fact and fiction; instead, it blurs the definitions seemingly represented by the film’s two clearly demarcated registers: that of the archival footage and that of the new, theatrical material. In his guise as “Michel Auder,” living a fulsome and extravagant life, replete with beautiful women and a rock-cut pool overlooking Los Angeles, the art world is revealed as a sham, and his character exhibits a repulsive narcissism. And yet, when caught in quiet moments, something poignant emerges—a glimmer of truth that rebels against the entire endeavour. Or maybe, that’s what makes The Feature.