Combining a moral lesson with a lyrical appreciation for landscape, Where Is the Friend’s Home? established Kiarostami’s reputation abroad. Perhaps more significantly, fate and Mother Nature made it the first part of a loosely linked trilogy comprising And Life Goes On… and Through the Olive Trees. Ahmad and Mohammad share a desk at a village school in northern Iran. Mohammad’s careless attitude toward his homework has drawn reprimands from their stern teacher. When Ahmad prepares to do his assignment, he is aghast to find that he accidentally picked up Mohammad’s notebook. Fearing that his friend will be expelled if he cannot submit his lesson the next day, Ahmad defies his parents and sets out to find his friend’s home in the neighboring village. Although he cannot locate his friend, Ahmad ultimately discovers the meaning of friendship and responsibility. Unable to return the notebook, he devises another solution to the dilemma. Three years after the film was made, a massive earthquake tragically destroyed most of the village where the film is set; Kiarostami’s return to the town in search of the film’s two child actors is the focus of the second part of his earthquake trilogy, And Life Goes On…. —Alissa Simon
Abbas Kiarostami was born in Tehran, Iran, in 1940. He graduated from university with a degree in fine arts before starting work as a graphic designer. He then joined the Center for Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults, where he started a film section, and this started his career as a filmmaker at the age of 30. Since then he has made many movies and has become one of the most important figures in contemporary Iranian film. He is also a major figure in the arts world, and has had numerous gallery exhibitions of his photography, short films and poetry. He is an iconic figure for what he has done, and he has achieved it all by believing in the arts and the creativity of his mind. —World Cinema Foundation
The zenmaster in Iran. If Godard believed you could make a movie with a girl and gun, Kiarostami believed you could do the same with two kids.
Abbas Kiarostami's Shirin continues his journey into the avant-garde world of Five Dedicated to Ozu, his 2003 excursion into long take minimalist
In Where is the Friend’s Home?, we are treated to a lyrical realism that gives witness to moments of common life one doesn’t merely understand, but deeply and personally connects with. The… read review
Where is the Friend’s Home?
Synopsis:
’’’’’Where Is the Friend’s Home?‘’’(Khane-ye doust kodjast?’’) is a 1987 Iranian film directed and written by Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami. The… read review
The Address
At the first light of the dawn
Asked the pilgrim:
“Where is the friend’s home?”
The skies went silent
save their mourning clouds,
save their… read review
