‘76 Minutes’ Kiarostami sequel in works

A sequel to ‘76 Minutes and 15 Seconds with Abbas Kiarostami’ has been scheduled to be made by Iranian director Seifollah Samadian.

Samadian said during a session organized by the Iranian Artists Forum on Sunday that a sequel to the montage film about the late great Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami is in the works.

“Kiarostami was one of the best people who came in front of my camera,” Samadian said, adding “I hope to make two or three sequels to ‘76 Minutes and 15 Seconds with Abbas Kiarostami’.”

The original film is currently on screen at Tehran’s Art and Experience Cinemas, which is dedicated to screening art films.

Samadian accompanied Kiarostami in most of his projects. He made ‘76 Minutes ...’ based on an idea from Kiarostami’s son, Ahmad, and it had its premiere at the 73rd edition of the Venice Film Festival a few months after Kiarostami’s death in 2016.

“In the film, we face a picture of Kiarostami as a filmmaker, photographer, poet, graphic designer, video artist and even a carpenter, and above all, a natural born lover of work and life who never can be described by words,” Samadian said.

During a memorial service held for Kiarostami earlier last year, Ahmad noted that his father “had his most comfortable and safest moments of his life in front of this man’s camera for 30 years.”

The film aptly named ‘76 years and 15 days’ refers to the duration of Kiarostami’s life.

It was screened in tributes paid to the great artist at many international events after his death on July 4, 2016.

AI/MG