KIAROSTAMI FOR KIDS

6:00PM

Doors Open.

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6:30PM

LIVE MUSIC PERFORMANCE by Lace Card

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7:30PM

KIAROSTAMI FOR KIDS

For three decades Abbas Kiarostami created films specifically for and about children, as part of his work at Kanoon (the Center Intellectual Development of Children and Young Adults in Tehran). Gathered in this program are five rarely seen shorts from this time. Intended to be educational, these early films are a mix of both moral tales and formalistic exercises. Some rely on whimsical visual gags (a boy daydreams about racing down a toy track in a red slot car), or an amusing mix of animation and live action (a child imitates the actions of a cartoon kangaroo), while others reveal Kiarostami's unique documentary-based approach from later films (a young boy drifts aimlessly along a busy highway). Whether conveying practical knowledge or capturing the inherent curiosity in children’s lives, Kiarostami's radical sense of humanity is nevertheless front and center in these stunning early shorts—which together offer a chance to explore the origins of one of the world's most empathetic and introspective filmmakers. ‍

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Guest programmed by Jason Evans (This Long Century/Ecstatic Static).

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SO CAN I. 1975. 4 min.

COLORS. 1976. 16 min.

HOW TO MAKE USE OF LEISURE TIME. 1977. 7 min.

TWO SOLUTIONS FOR ONE PROBLEM. 1975. 5 min.

BREAKTIME. 1972. 11 min.

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Thanks to Brian Belovarac, Emily Woodburne, and Janus Films.

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