It was on hold due to the temporary lockdown in December and January, but from April 1, Close-Up on Kiarostami will be back in Rialto De Pijp and Rialto VU. A series of eight films by the brilliant Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami returns to the big screen.
Still: The Traveler (1974)
Kiarostami was not a fan of films in which the viewer's film experience was held hostage by a boarded-up screenplay with a plot twist at the end. Films had to offer the viewer space and tranquility to interpret what was happening on the silver screen. His work is characterized by a very subtle and almost mysterious observation of human nature. The stories are masterfully simple and are a meditative narration about our motives, with room for self-reflection, sadness and joy. Kiarostami played around with the form of film. He used professional actors but also gave lead roles to children without any acting experience.
Kiarostami's films were acclaimed in the West, while in his native country they were marginalized and sometimes banned. They are all masterpieces, films that ask to be rewatched, because they are so close to the essence of cinema – and because they take the role as a viewer seriously.
In the coming months, Rialto De Pijp and Rialto VU will present eight masterpieces from Kiarostami's rich oeuvre: The Traveler, Where is the Friend's House?, And Life Goes On, Through the Olive Trees, Close-Up, Ten, The Wind Will Carry Us and Taste of Cherry. Those who are already familiar with his work will enjoy seeing his films again, for those who are new to his work, this is the perfect opportunity to enrich themselves endlessly with his masterful cinema.