Close Up: Iranian Cinema, Past, Present, and Future [Paperback]

Hamid Dabashi (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 2001

'The indispensable work on one of the most extraordinary artistic and social adventures of our time.'—Edward W. Said

Abbas Kiraostami planted Iran firmly on the map of world cinema when he won the Palme d'Or at the Cannes film festival in 1997 for his film A Taste of Cherry. In this book Hamid Dabashi examines the growing reputation of Iranian cinema from its origins in the films of Kimiyai and Mehrjui, through the work of established directors such as Kiarostami, Beyzai and Bani-Etemad, to young filmmakers like Samira Makhmalbaf and Bahman Qobadi, who triumphed at the Cannes 2000 festival. Dabashi combines exclusive interviews with directors, detailed and insightful commentary, critical cultural context, an extensive filmography, and generous illustrations to provide an indispensable guide to a globally celebrated but little-studied cinematic genre. 30 black-and-white photographs

Editorial Reviews

Review

With Hamid Dabashi's new book, we finally have a reading of the post-Revolutionary Iranian cinema from within Iranian culture and society. Dabashi traces the deep roots of the work of filmmakers such as Abbas Kiarostami, Mohsen Makhmalbaf and Rakshan Bani-Etemad, and shows how their work opens up a fascinating and far-reaching interrogation of contemporary cultural production. (Richard Pena )

Hamid Dabashi's learned book on Iranian cinema in the era of globalization sparkles with verve and a sometimes punishing wit. Encyclopedic in its scope, informal in tone, shrewd in its interpretation, it is the indispensable work on one of the most extraordinary artistic and social adventures of our time. Dabashi is the perfect guide. (Edward W. Said )

A better understanding of Iranian cinema needed someone as much aware of its global significance as knowledgeable of its immediate social roots — Hamid Dabashi is one of those rare cultural critics who has been able to add such a perspective. (Mohsen Makhmalbaf )

About the Author

Hamid Dabashi is the Hagop Kevorkian Professor of Iranian Studies and Comparative Literature at Columbia University. He is the founder of Dreams of a Nation: A Palestinian Film Project, committed to the preservation and dissemination of Palestinian cinema. His books include Close Up: Iranian Cinema: Past, Present and Future.

Product Details

• Paperback: 320 pages
• Publisher: Verso (November 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1859843328
• ISBN-13: 978-1859843321
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 7.7 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #240,766 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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