The void left by Abbas Kiarostami lingers. That huge a vacuum in world cinema none can compensate other than the great Kiarostami himself. All that we, the film lovers, can do is relive his memories and stroll through his reel world again and again. This month for Banner Film Festival it’s time to remember the great master from Iranian cinema. Coming Sunday will see the screening of four of his movies — Where Is the Friend’s Home? (9.30 am), Life, and Nothing More (11.30 am), Taste of Cherry (2.30 pm) and Certified Copy (4 pm). This accompanies a commemorative meeting in between the screenings at 11 am to be attended by film director Lenin Rajendran, editor Bina Paul Venugopal and film critic M.F. Thomas.
The most critically acclaimed was Taste of Cherry, the movie which bagged the Palme d’Or at the Cannes in 1997. The movie progresses through a middle-aged man Badii, who drives through the Tehran suburb in search of somebody to bury his body once he ends himself. Shot in a minimalist setting, the movie stands out for its absence of background score, leisurely pace and predominant long takes.
Certified Copy was noteworthy for Kiarostami took his films for the first time outside Iran. This one shot in Italy brought in laurels for its female lead Binoche — the Best Actress Award in 2010 Cannes where it was premiered.
The one-day festival organised by Banner Film Society is screened at Lenin Balavadi in Vazhuthacaud in Thiruvananthapuram.
