About this episode

This episode discusses Abbas Kiarostami's film 'Close-up', exploring its themes of truth and representation in cinema.

One of the greatest, most thought-provoking yet totally accessible films is this masterpiece of cinema from Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami. It's the true story of a Tehran man who impersonates a famous filmmaker and convinces a family that he's going to cast them in a movie. Kiarostami then reconstructs the events that occurred using the real people involved, including the imposter. Part documentary, part fiction, and entirely about what we think about what we see on-screen, truth, lies, and cinema. I recommend the Criterion Channel's streaming page about this film as it contains several important subsequent films that will greatly enhance your experience of a film that Martin Scorcese called "life-changing". Watch the film here. Watch the documentary follow-up "'Close-up' Long Shot" here. Watch the 2009 video interview with 'Close-up' director Abbas Kiarostami here. Read this excellent Godfrey Cheshire essay about the film.

Topics covered

• Iranian cinema
• documentary
• fiction
• film analysis
• truth in cinema

Keywords

• Abbas Kiarostami
• Close-up
• Iranian film
• documentary
• cinema

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Godfrey Cheshire

Books & works: 'Close-up', 'Close-up' Long Shot, Criterion Channel

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