A new podcast series is diving deep into the early works of Iranian master filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami, exploring a collection of films often overlooked in the West.
Rediscovering Kiarostami’s Roots
Table of Contents
A podcast is unpacking the Criterion Collection’s eclipse Series 47, shedding light on the formative films of a cinematic giant.
- Kiarostami began his career at the Institute for the intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults in Tehran, blending documentary, narrative, and animation.
- His early work often used classrooms as settings to explore social and political issues in iran before and after the 1979 revolution.
- The films collected in this series are characterized by their poetic simplicity and exploration of worldwide human truths.
- Thirteen additional films from the set are discussed in other episodes of the podcast.
Before achieving international acclaim,Abbas Kiarostami honed his distinctive style at Tehran’s Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults (known as Kanoon). A recent podcast series is meticulously examining his early output,specifically focusing on five films contained within Eclipse Series 47: Abbas Kiarostami – Early Shorts and Features. Hosts David Blakeslee and Trevor Berrett offer insights into these frequently enough-overlooked gems.
What makes Kiarostami’s early films so compelling? Thay gracefully blend documentary and narrative elements, often finding moments of profound poetry within the everyday. He deftly used deceptively simple premises to express universal truths about the human condition, a hallmark of his later, more celebrated work.
Early Works Explored
Solution No. 1 (1978)
first Case, Second Case (1979)
The Chorus (1982)
Fellow Citizen (1983)
first Graders (1984)
The podcast delves into Kiarostami’s unique approach, noting how he frequently used the classroom as a “laboratory” to investigate social and political tensions in Iranian society during a period of significant upheaval. His films span a range of styles, from joyous shorts for children to subtle explorations of adolescent struggles.
Listeners can access the podcast via RSS or iTunes. Previous episodes have already covered thirteen other films included in the Eclipse Series 47, offering a extensive look at Kiarostami’s early career.
