Men At Work: Cinematic Lessons From Abbas Kiarostami

What if you could take a Master Class from a Master of Cinema? In a new book, Mah­moud Reza Sani takes us inside such a class. He allows us to sit in on the beginning days of a workshop taught by critically-acclaimed and award-winning direc­tor Abbas Kiarostami (Taste of Cherry, Cer­ti­fied Copy, Like Some­one in Love). In Feb­ru­ary 2012, Abbas Kiarostami trav­eled to Spain to receive the Ibn-Arabi tro­phy for a life­time of artistic achievements. It was decided at that time that he would hold a 10 day film maker workshop for 35 students who had traveled from all over the world in eager anticipation to attend this once in a lifetime event. We join Kiarostami in class as he con­verses with the stu­dents and author. We lis­ten as Kiarostami rem­i­nisces about some of his past expe­ri­ences and offers insight into his cin­e­matic style. We learn as he advises the stu­dents on how to shape their sto­ries and find their voice, not only in the world of film but also in their lives. The book also includes the fore­word ‘Lessons of Refusal’ writ­ten by famed French Screen­writer Jean-Claude Car­rière (Dis­creet Charm of the Bour­geoisie, Belle du Jour).