Abbas Kiarostami, born in Tehran in 1940, emerged as a central figure in the Iranian New Wave by blending documentary realism with philosophical inquiry. Over a career spanning more than four decades, he expanded his creative reach beyond filmmaking into poetry, graphic design, and photography, ultimately becoming one of the most influential directors to emerge from the Persian cinema movement.
Early Artistic Development
Before transitioning to cinema, Kiarostami studied at the University of Tehran, where he majored in painting and graphic design. He initially supported his education by working as a traffic policeman. During the 1960s, he built a career in advertising, creating posters and producing roughly 150 television commercials. His early visual work also included illustrating children's books and designing credit titles for films.
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In 1970, Kiarostami helped establish a specialized filmmaking department at the Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults, known as Kanoon, in Tehran. His directorial debut, the short film The Bread and Alley (1970), marked his first foray into neorealist storytelling. This department became a hub for the Iranian New Wave, facilitating the production of acclaimed works such as The Runner and Bashu, the Little Stranger, while allowing Kiarostami to refine his minimalist style.
Narrative Style and the Koker Trilogy
Kiarostami gained international recognition with Where Is the Friend's House? (1987), a film centered on a schoolboy's quest to return a notebook. This work formed the basis of what critics termed the Koker trilogy, alongside And Life Goes On (1992) and Through the Olive Trees (1994). Set against the backdrop of the 1990 Manjil–Rudbar earthquake, these films utilized the Iranian rural landscape to explore themes of life, death, and human persistence. While critics grouped them geographically, Kiarostami often linked these titles with Taste of Cherry (1997) due to their focus on the inherent value of life.
Global Recognition and Later Works
His later career involved filming outside of Iran for the first time, producing Certified Copy (2010) in Italy and Like Someone in Love (2012) in Japan. Throughout his career, he accumulated numerous international honors, including the Praemium Imperiale in 2004, the Konrad Wolf Prize in 2003, and honorary doctorates from institutions such as the Sorbonne Nouvelle University and the University of Toulouse-II. Kiarostami died in the 14th arrondissement of Paris in 2016.
Fast facts
- Born: 1940, Tehran
- Died: 2016, 14th arrondissement of Paris
- Education: University of Tehran
- Notable Award: Palme d'Or (1997)
- Occupations: Director, screenwriter, photographer, poet
- Languages: Persian, English
- Active from: 1970
- Total films involved in: Over 40
Questions readers ask
What characterized Kiarostami's filmmaking style?
He was known for documentary-style narratives, the use of child protagonists, rural settings, and the integration of Persian poetry into film dialogue and themes.
Did Kiarostami film exclusively in Iran?
No, while he spent much of his career in Iran, his later films Certified Copy (2010) and Like Someone in Love (2012) were filmed in Italy and Japan, respectively.
Achievements
- Officer of the Legion of Honour
- honorary doctor of Ca' Foscari University of Venice — 2003
- Palme d'Or
- Worked as film director, screenwriter and photographer
