For the best part of thirty years, Abbas Kiarostami's conteplative narratives have been pioneering the cinema that comes out of Iran. Hindaries of the film medium.
The consists of a series of mid shots of female actresses, all s most recent outing Shirin, which screened at the EIFF yesterday is no less bold in pushing the bouwatching a film in the cinema. We never see the film that they watch, but are carried into it through the sound and dialogue that we can hear haunting them. At first glance this might seem to be a slow and exceptionally tedious film, but somehow the reflections of the story is so hauntingly vivid, that the film takes on a driving narrative that keeps the audiuence gripped.
As well as following the off screen narrative in minute detail, painted through the meticulous sound design and beautiful score, the film resonates with the audinece on so many levels that it is no exaggeration to refer to it as genuis. By construtin the story of Shirin is the epic poetic tradition, the language of the 'film' draws us into that tradition of oral storytelling that is so often lost in the modern world. Indeed the flickering effect in the faces often have a tinge of a flame, a primal human sense of storytelling being evoked throughout.
We also find ourselves, the audience, becoming self aware, and reflecting ourselves in the faces of those staring beyond is. One becomes aware of their gestures, their positions in their seats, and how they must look when observing this film.
Within these reflections comes the humanity of the characters presented. All of different ages and seemingly different classes, we are left to surmise about each face through the detail of their clothing, and the nature of their reactions to different parts of the story. The fact that he has chosen exclusively women, as well as a female narrator in the shape of Shririn, we are able to see how they empathise with the woes that she relays, and as such we refelct more on the world and relationships of these women. In this way, the sublte trickle of a tear becomes so much more personal and visceral.
And yet the dimension to the piece continues, in the evocation of the images of the Old Masters. Watching the portraits on is reminded of famous portraits and specifically Dutch masters - the details and contrast of film matches the detail in the oil world of Vermeer and Van Eyke, among others. This compounded with parts of the melodious soundtrack produce something akin to video art, where we are simply watching projections of faces to music, and unifiying ourselve with them through it.
The greatest irony of the film might be said to be the strength of the narrative, that we never see, and yet are always fully engaged and entertained. At the film ends, one realises that through the entire story that we have experienced vicariously through these characters, we have been fully satisfied, and richer for the experience. The simplicity of the execution belies a complexity so multi dimensional that one might even regret the fact that it does not last longer.
Shirin will never be a mainstream film, and nor is it intended as such. However, the reflection that Kiarostami gives us on humanity, women, cinema, art and sound is so rich that for all those who take the time to invest and engage with it will reap the most wonderful cinema experience - certainly that I have had for a long while.
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