The National Iranian American Council (NIAC) sends its deepest condolences to the family and friends of world-renowned and multi-award-winning Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami, who passed away yesterday at the age of 76. We extend our greatest regrets to Kiarostami’s sons, Ahmad Kiarostami, who is a NIAC board member and a dear friend, as well as his brother Bahman Kiarostami.
Kiarostami passed away from a series of gastrointestinal complications in Paris, where he had gone for treatment. His celebrated career of more than four decades included writing and directing dozens of films and winning more than 70 awards.
The only Iranian filmmaker to win the Cannes Film Festival’s prestigious Palme d’Or for his 1997 film Taste of Cherry, Kiarostami’s beautiful and hauntingly realist films broke boundaries in global cinema. He was especially known for his documentary-style films about children, which often held deep philosophical implications.
Kiarostami began his career in the 1960s and continued to work inside Iran following the 1979 revolution. Kiarostami dedicated much of his life to capturing the poetic beauty, sorrow, and paradox of life in Iran.
We mourn the loss of Iran’s most respected filmmaker, whose work has touched our hearts, brightened our days, and given life to our dreams.
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