This was my first Iranian film, and I absolutely loved it. The symbolism, the multi-layer story, the realism, the strong performances by each character, the lack of an antagonist or protagonist make this film unique and powerful.
I would really like it if anybody could suggest other good Iranian films. Not necessarily of the same genre.
I suggest these:
1. About Elly...(Asghar Farhadi, 2009)
2. Fireworks Wednesday (Asghar Farhadi, 2006)
3. The Brick and the Mirror (Ebrahim Golestan, 1965)
4. The House is Black (Forugh Farrokhzad, 1963)
5. The Runner (Amir Naderi, 1990)
6. The Report (Abbas Kiarostami, 1977)
7. Where is the Friend's Home? (Abbas Kiarostami, 1987)
8. Close-Up (Abbas Kiarostami, 1990)
9. Life, and Nothing More (Abbas Kiarostami, 1992)
10. Through the Olive Trees (Abbas Kiarostami, 1994)
11. Taste of Cherry (Abbas Kiarostami, 1997)
12. The Wind Will Carry Us (Abbas Kiarostami, 1999)
13. Ten (Abbas Kiarostami, 2002)
14. Ballad of Tara (Bahram Beizai , 1979)
15. Death of Yazdgerd (Bahram Beizai , 1982)
16. Maybe Some Other Time (Bahram Beizai , 1988)
17. Bashu, The Little Stranger (Bahram Beizai , 1990)
18. Travellers (Bahram Beizai , 1993)
19. Capitan Khorshid (Naser Taghvai, 1987)
20. Kaghaz-e bikhat / The Lineless Paper (Naser Taghvai, 2002)
21. The Cow (Darish Mehrjui, 1969)
22. The Tenants (Darish Mehrjui, 1986)
23. Hamoun (Darish Mehrjui, 1990)
24. Sara (Darish Mehrjui, 1993)
25. Leila (Darish Mehrjui, 1998)
26. The Pear Tree (Darish Mehrjui, 1998)
27. Under The Skin of The City (Rakhshan Bani-Etemad, 2001)
28. 20 Fingers (Mania Akbari, 2004)
29. The White Balloon (Jafar Panahi, 1995)
30. The Circle (Jafar Panahi, 2000)
31. Crimson Gold (Jafar Panahi, 2003)
32. Boutique (Hamid Nematolah, 2003)
33. We Only Live Twice (Behnam Behzadi, 2008)
34. The Yalda Night (Kiomars Pour Ahamd,
35. To Be or Not To Be (Kianoush Ayari, 1998)
36. Hemlock (Behruz Afkhami, 2000)
37. Children of Heaven (Majid Majidi, 1997)
38. Desiderium (Ali Hatami, 1978)
40. A Cube of Sugar (Reza Mirkarimi, 2011)
44. Still Life (Sohrab Shahid Saless, 1974)
Great List!
But would definitely recommend BARAN, perhaps the most subtle but beautiful love story in cinematic history. Colors of Paradise is also fantastic and if one is looking for a strong lead role, the lead performance in THE WILLOW TREE is something else
well a very long list by kasra.
but I'll suggest you a few strong titles to start with...
1. Bashu, the Little Stranger (1990)
www.imdb.com/title/tt0096894/
(Absolutely brilliant, awe-inspiring and heart-warming movie.)
2. Children of Heaven (1997)
www.imdb.com/title/tt0118849/
(Gem of a movie, copied in several countries)
3. The Color of Paradise
www.imdb.com/title/tt0191043/
(Masterpiece !!!)
4. The Lizard (2004)
www.imdb.com/title/tt0416960/
(Comedy genius !)
"4. The Lizard (2004)"
I dont think non-iranians would find it funny enough!
that's such a shame though!
The best argument against democracy is a 5-minute chat with the average voter.
W. Churchill
1.Children of Heaven (1997)
2.About Elly (2009)
That's all and dont waste your time on abbas kiarostami's bullsh*ts.
Abbas Kiarostami's bullsh*ts ?!!!
According to Martin Scorsese, "Kiarostami represents the highest level of artistry in the cinema."
Jean-Luc Godard has said, "Film begins with D.W. Griffith and ends with Abbas Kiarostami."
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0452102/bio#trivia
Don't judge a master like Kiarostami when you don't have enough cinematic knowledge and study. I recommend you to read the book "MAFAHIME NAGHDE FILM" by Majide Eslami / Nashre Ney
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I know what you mean and you're right. But someone like him (e-dalir) should say "I don't like Kiarostami's works", "I don't understand them". Not "Kiarostami's *beep*
As an Iranian He should be proud of a master like Kiarostami even if he doesn't understand the greatness of his work.
And I believe the book "MAFAHIME NAGHDE FILM" can help everybody to understand movies more. Especially Kiarostami's movies.
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It's not just us Iranians that feel pride. You can see how Penelope Cruz or Antonio Banderas react in the Academy Awards when a film from Spain or a Spanish person wins the Oscar. And I'm sure they are really proud to have directors like Almadovar.
shareYes, there are nationalistic pigs even among the hollywood elite.
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Applied Science? All science is applied. Eventually.
"I hate to shatter your ego, but this ain't the first time i've had a gun pointed at me"
im a screenwriter now and im studying movie direction, im digging the movies for 7 years now and ive seen each one of the world's best movies at least for 3 times and ive read lots of books about cinema ( i never gonna read "MAFAHIME NAGHDE FILM" because its written by an Iranian guy).
i know frame by frame of kiarostamis's works and i still dont like them, because its an art, not cinema (its not the art of the cinema). and hes not a filmmaker but an artist, and i will never forget his insult to cinema "Shirin". its french intellectuals fault that kiarostami became kiarostami.
i wish my English was better, then i could explain everything with more details but unfortunately my writing and speaking sucked,im pretty good in reading and listening though ,maybe its because i live in Iran and i learned English from movies and there is no one to speak english with.
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Thanks for the book recommendation, I also think Kiarostami is the actual cinema-god, I just cant forget what his films have teached me (specially Trough the Olive trees & Taste of Cherry), and after watching hundreds of films, I can say the most alike director to Kiarostami nowadays is Apichatpong.
shareThe excellent weekly podcast filmspotting is doing a "Contemporary Iranian Cinema Marathon" right now, which means every few weeks they review a movie that fits this theme. Here is a list of the ones they have done so far with links to mp3s of their reviews:
http://filmspotting.net/marathons/859-contemporary-iranian-cinema.html
Here's my current favorites list, in chronological order:
Yek Atash / A Fire (Ebrahim Golestan, 1961) (documentary short)
Khaneh siah ast / The House is Black (Forugh Farrokhzad, 1963) (documentary short)
Tappe-haye Marlik / The Hills of Marlik (Ebrahim Golestan, 1963) (documentary short)
Khesht va Ayeneh / The Brick and the Mirror (Ebrahim Golestan, 1965)
Qaleh / Women's Quarter (Kamran Shirdel, 1966) (documentary short)
An shab ke barun amad / The Night it Rained (Kamran Shirdel, 1967) (short)
Nan va Koutcheh / The Bread and Alley (Abbas Kiarostami, 1970) (short)
Ya zamene ahu / Oh, Protector of the Gazelle (Parviz Kimiavi, 1970) (documentary short)
Ragbar / Downpour (Bahram Beizai, 1972)
Khake Sar Beh Morh / The Sealed Soil (Marva Nabili, 1977)
Gozaresh / The Report (Abbas Kiarostami, 1977)
Khane-ye doust kodjast?/Where is the Friend's Home? (Abbas Kiarostami, 1987)
Nema-ye Nazdik / Close-Up (Abbas Kiarostami, 1990)
Zendegi va digar hich / Life, and Nothing More (Abbas Kiarostami, 1992)
Nassereddin Shah, Actor-e Cinema / Once Upon a Time, Cinema (Mohsen Makhmalbaf, 1992)
Badkonake sefid / The White Balloon (Jafar Panahi, 1995)
Pari (Dariiush Mehrjui, 1995)
Nun va Goldoon / A Moment of Innocence (Mohsen Makhmalbaf, 1996)
Ta'm e guilass / Taste of Cherry (Abbas Kiarostami, 1997)
Leila (Darish Mehrjui, 1998)
Sib / The Apple (Samira Makhmalbaf, 1998)
Bad ma ra khahad bord / The Wind Will Carry Us (Abbas Kiarostami, 1999)
Baran (Majid Majidi, 2001)
Nimeh-ye penhan/The Hidden Half (Tahmineh Milani, 2001)
Zir-e poost-e shahr/Under the City's Skin (Rakshan Bani-Etemad, 2001)
Ten (Abbas Kiarostami, 2002)
Ruz-e gar-e ma / Our Times (Rakshan Bani-Etemad, 2002)
Turbulent (Shirin Neshat, 2002) (short)
Shah-re ziba / The Beautiful City (Asghar Farhadi, 2004)
Shekarchi / The Hunter (Rafi Pitts, 2010)
Jodaeiye Nader az Simin/A Separation (Asghar Farhadi, 2011)
Some things a man can't ride around.
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I highly recommend "Leila," which happens to star a much younger Leila Hatami, who plays Simin in A Separation. It deals with some similar themes as Separation, namely how likeable people can be driven to conflict because of social pressures and their own personal flaws.
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