Question 1

True or false: He wrote and directed the Oscar-winning foreign film 'A Separation'.

Accepted Answer

False. 'A Separation' was directed by Asghar Farhadi, not Kiarostami. It won the Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film in 2012.

Question 2

True or false: He won the Palme d'Or at Cannes for his film 'Taste of Cherry'.

Accepted Answer

True. 'Taste of Cherry' won the Palme d'Or in 1997, but the award was controversial due to its minimalist, contemplative style.

Question 3

True or false: Kiarostami originally studied painting and graphic design before becoming a filmmaker.

Accepted Answer

True. He earned a degree in painting from the University of Tehran and worked as a graphic designer, which influenced his visual style.

Question 4

True or false: Kiarostami never used professional actors in any of his feature films.

Accepted Answer

False. While he often used non-professionals, he occasionally cast professionals, such as Juliette Binoche in 'Certified Copy' (2010).

Question 5

True or false: Kiarostami's film 'Close-Up' is a documentary about a real-life impostor.

Accepted Answer

True. 'Close-Up' (1990) blends documentary and fiction, reenacting the true story of a man who impersonated filmmaker Mohsen Makhmalbaf.

Question 6

True or false: He directed a film that was shot entirely in first-person perspective.

Accepted Answer

False. No Kiarostami film is entirely first-person. His 'Ten' used dashboard cameras but showed both driver and passengers.

Question 7

True or false: Kiarostami directed a film set entirely inside a car using only two actors.

Accepted Answer

True. 'Ten' (2002) was filmed with two dashboard cameras, featuring a female driver and her passengers in real-time conversations.

Question 8

True or false: Kiarostami was a prolific photographer and published several books of his work.

Accepted Answer

True. He was also a renowned photographer, poet, and painter, with exhibitions worldwide and poetry collections in Persian.

Abbas Kiarostami Trivia Questions