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The Wind Will Carry Us
Abbas Kiarostami, Iran, 1999; 118 mins.
When people gush about the recent and
ongoing Iranian film renaissance, they're talking about (in one way or
another) the astonishing vision of that golden moment's most significant
figure, Abbas Kiarostami. Screenwriter, mentor and seminal influence on so
many of the new Iranian directors, Kiarostami's own body of work includes
classics like Homework, where interviews with children become explorations of
a national home life; Close-Up, a masterful re-enactment of a true story
starring the actual participants, and his "Earthquake trilogy," in which the
films open up upon one other like a Russian stacking doll. Kiarostami's
naturalistic approach combines the sensibilities of the neo-realists (read
"non-actors, improvisational action, documentary style") with a Tarkovskian
faith in the power of elemental details (read "long takes where seemingly
nothing happens"). Some of Kiarostami's films are more accessible than
others, and The Wind Will Carry Us is a fine entry point to his challenging
but potentially mind-expanding vision. The characteristic Iranian art form
is poetry, and the title (a line from one of Iran's most famous poets) along
with the thematic and visual sense of this film, aims to coax viewers out of
their closed, prosaic worlds: an overworked film director has brought a crew
from the big city to the countryside to capture some traditional funeral
rites on film. But first he has to wait for an old woman to finish dying,
which perfectly situates the director in the mode of "sitting around waiting
for death." Meanwhile, life and beauty go unnoticed on all sides, if he
could just put down his cell phone, stop worrying, and - most importantly -
open his eyes. If you're open to the possibility that the world is bigger
than you typically give it credit for, and you're willing to invest some
effort in letting go of your usual way of seeing, this film will be a
revelation for you.
The Wind Will Carry Us
is part of "Great Awakenings" track of the Featured Screenings program at Flickerings at Cornerstone Festival,
July 1-4, 2004.See complete Schedule
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