Iranian cinema: Abbas Kiarostami

What is the course about?

This film studies course will explore one of the richest and most fascinating bodies of work in world cinema: the filmography of the great Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami. We will be analysing different stages of his career, from working at the Children’s Film Institute making shorts and documentaries in the 1970s, to his breakthrough in the 1980s with the surprise hit Where is the Friend’s Home, and arguably his masterpiece Close-Up, and then his later more self-reflexive and playfully inquisitive art films. We will consider his stylistic trademarks and thematic concerns: films about children and the child’s gaze, self-reflexivity and blending of fiction and reality, themes of death and loneliness, and in the latter stages of his career an interest in the lives of women. We will also consider the specifically Iranian cultural and historic context of his films, a topic often neglected or misunderstood. A questioning of Kiarostami’s international reception and success will also be covered: to what extent was he an ‘Iranian’ filmmaker or a ‘global’ one? How did he navigate a balance between the two?

What will we cover?

• A contextual overview of Kiarostami’s filmmaking career, including his personal trajectory as well as the cultural and historical context which shaped his films
• Analyse specific examples and clips from Kiarostami’s rich body of work
• We will cover the storytelling techniques, stylistic trademarks, and thematic interests running across his work
• We will consider how the international reception and success of Kiarostami affected his career, potentially shifting him from a local Iranian filmmaker into a transnational, global one, making films outside Iran for international audiences.

What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...

• Have a better understanding of Kiarostami’s career and why he is such a significant figure in world cinema
• Situate Kiarostami’s films within a specific historical and cultural context
• Have developed analytical and interpreting skills from examining Kiarostami’s films.

What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?

The course is suitable for all levels and you do not require any particular skills, just an interest in Iranian cinema and Iranian history.

How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?

Short clips from the films will be provided, as well as reading materials. The class will be structured around a combination of PowerPoint presentations, film clips and class discussions.

Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?

The tutor will show extracts from films and you do not have to obtain them.

When I've finished, what course can I do next?

Look for other Film Studies courses under History Culture and Writing/Film Studies at www.citylit.ac.uk.