Abbas Kiarostami

The Profile

Abbas Kiarostami (1940–2016) was an Iranian film director, screenwriter, photographer and poet known for minimalist, poetic films and international acclaim, including the Palme d'Or for Il sapore della ciliegia (Taste of Cherry).

Received the Palme d'Or at Cannes for Il sapore della ciliegia (Taste of Cherry). Often associated with Italian neorealism and influenced by Rossellini; films frequently explore childhood, moral choices and existential themes with a stripped-down, poetic style.

Reviews praise Kiarostami's stripped-down, poetic style and neorealist debt to Rossellini. Themes include childhood, moral choices and existential doubt. Performances (notably the child in Where Is the Friend's House?) and the director's minimalist craft are repeatedly highlighted. Taste of Cherry/Il sapore della ciliegia earned him the Palme d'Or.