"In some ways these films are mirrors as well as sounding boards,"

March 11, 2001 8:48 AM

"In some ways these films are mirrors as well as sounding boards," reflecting Iranian society to itself and to the world. (more inside...)
posted by Avogadro (3 comments total)

I was first exposed to Iranian cinema through viewing A Moment of Innocence, and was immediately struck by the power of its message despite (or because of) its delicacy. And so I ask, what accounts for the high quality of Iranian film (in general), and are there any lessons that Western film-makers may glean from them?
posted by Avogadro at 8:48 AM on March 11, 2001

It's a frustrating paradox: the strict societal limitations force the film-makers to be creative inside a comparatively narrow band. The same effect could be seen, for example, in Soviet-era science fiction, which created some wonderful elliptical fantasies, mainly because they couldn't approach subject matters in more concrete ways. Some recent films from China are similar.
posted by dhartung at 11:05 AM on March 11, 2001

I don't have an answer, but I share your admiration. I'm a big Abbas Kiarostami fan, especially Close-Up and Taste of Cherry.
posted by Joe Hutch at 11:15 AM on March 11, 2001