Iran mega director talks on first cinema memory

Iran mega director Abbas Kiarostami has talked about his first memory of cinema in a archive of master classes released for public by the US-based Walker Art Center.

The newly published archive has a wealth of riches including never-before-published discussions with Iran directing powerhouse.

The archive ranges from a talk earlier this year, just days after Bong Joon Ho made history with ‘Parasite’ at the Oscars. The list also includes extensive conversations with Leos Carax, Abbas Kiarostami, Agnès Varda, Spike Lee, Jane Campion, Apichatpong Weerasethakul, Jim Jarmusch, Stan Brakhage, and more.

The archive works best for those striving to have a great collection of inspiring didactics on modern filmmaking.

The late Iranian director revealed details on his first experience of cinema, saying that, “I saw my first film which was a production of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.”

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of feature films and television programs.

He added that the company’s logo showing a roaring lion made him very much scared as he had to press his sister’s hand out of fear.and that was the time he was watching his first film in the cinema at the age of ten.

Kiarostami is mostly known as a screenwriter, film editor, art director and producer as well as a poet, photographer, painter, illustrator, and graphic designer.

Abbas Kiarostami, who died in July 2016, was an Iranian film director, whose 'Taste of Cherry' grabbed the Palme d'Or at the 1997 Cannes Film Festival.

The late writer-director has been widely hailed as a pioneer of the Iranian New Wave.

The Minneapolis-based Walker Art Center has hosted masterclasses and film series in their Walker Cinema since 1990.

AG/AG