Abbas Kiarostami

Abbas Kiarostami (1940-2016): Born in Tehran, he studied painting at the University of Tehran and started working as a graphic designer. His first movie ‘Where Is the Friend’s Home?’ (1987) was awarded the Bronze Leopard at the Locarno Film Festival in Switzerland. ‘Close-Up’ (1990), one of his films, was ranked 42nd in British Film Institute’s The Top 50 Greatest Films of All Time. It was also praised by directors such as Quentin Tarantino, Martin Scorsese, Werner Herzog and Jean-Luc Godard. On June 29, just a few days before he died, he was among 683 film-makers asked to join the US Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.