Iranian children's cinema shining in world with Kiarostami's works

The short and feature films of the late prominent Iranian director, Abbas Kiarostami, have been major contributors to introduce Iran in famous International festivals.

Isfahan (IMNA) - Iranian Cinema has had the most international presence in int'l  film festivals and the name of Kiarostami always presents the art of filmmaking. Kiarostami belongs to the era which was known as golden age of Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults. He was born in June 22, 1940 and died in July 4, 2016. He was an Iranian film director, screenwriter, poet, photographer and film producer. An active film-maker from 1970, Kiarostami had been involved in over forty films, including shorts and documentaries.

The Traveler directed by Kiarostami is regarded as the best film for children before the Islamic Revolution. The movie narrates the story of a boy (Hassan Darabi) tries to scrape together enough money to buy a ticket for a soccer game. The Bread and Alley by Kiarostami also won the arbitration committee award in the 5th International Film Festival for Children and Youths in 1970. A Wedding Suit also won 1976 diploma of arbitration committee, Iran national TV award in the 11th International Film Festival for Children and Youths and the diploma of honor at 1977 Moscow international film festival. Kiarostami's First Graders received the special award of the jury at 1986 Fajr Film Fetival.

Where Is the Friend's Home?, And Life Goes On (1992) (also known as Life and Nothing More), and Through the Olive Trees (1994) are described by critics as the Koker trilogy, because all three films feature the village of Koker in northern Iran. The films also relate to the 1990 Manjil–Rudbar earthquake, in which 40,000 people died. Isfahan (IMNA) - Kiarostami uses the themes of life, death, change, and continuity to connect the films. The trilogy was successful in France in the 1990s and other Western European countries such as the Netherlands, Sweden, Germany and Finland. But, Kiarostami did not consider the three films to comprise a trilogy. He suggested that the last two titles plus Taste of Cherry (1997) comprise a trilogy, given their common theme of the preciousness of life. In 1987, Kiarostami was involved in the screenwriting of The Key, which he edited but did not direct. In 1989, he also released Homework.

Prix Roberto Rossellini (1992), Prix Cine Decouvertes (1992), François Truffaut Award (1993), Pier Paolo Pasolini Award (1995), Federico Fellini Gold Medal, UNESCO (1997), Palme d'Or, Cannes Film Festival (1997), Honorary Golden Alexander Prize, Thessaloniki International Film Festival (1999), Silver Lion, Venice Film Festival (1999), Akira Kurosawa Award (2000), Honorary doctorate, École Normale Supérieure (2003) Konrad Wolf Prize (2003), President of the Jury for Caméra d'Or Award, Cannes Festival (2005), Fellowship of the British Film Institute (2005), Gold Leopard of Honor, Locarno International Film Festival (2005), Prix Henri-Langlois Prize (2006), Honorary doctorate, University of Toulouse (2007), World's great masters, Kolkata International Film Festival (2007), Glory to the Filmmaker Award, Venice Film Festival (2008), Honorary doctorate, University of Paris (2010), Lifetime Achievement Award for Contribution to World Cinematography (BIAFF - Batumi International Art-house film Festival, 2010), Japan's Medal of Honor (2013), Austrian Decoration for Science and Art (2014) and Honorary Golden Orange Prize, International Antalya Film Festival (2014) were among Kiarostami's awards.

Presided by Alireza Reza Dad, the 31st edition of International Film Festival for Children and Youth is slated for August 30- September 5 in Isfahan Province.

Translator: Manosur Jahani

News ID 350688

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