This film was proposed by our members Arian Nemati, Matilda Uribe & Awais Irfan, who wrote: 'Abbas Kiarostami’s Taste of Cherry is not only a profound meditation on life and death and existentialism, it’s a film not many people have seen – despite being part of the Criterion Collection. His filmography impresses but even with the likes of Close Up and Certified Copy under his belt, Taste of Cherry remains the most groundbreaking and masterful. A deeply moving, enthralling cinema experience.'
The first Iranian film to win the Palme d’Or, this austere, emotionally complex drama by the great Abbas Kiarostami follows the enigmatic Mr. Badii (Homayoun Ershadi) as he drives around the hilly outskirts of Tehran looking for someone who will agree to bury him after he commits suicide, a taboo under Islam. Extended conversations with three passengers (a soldier, a seminarian, and a taxidermist) elicit different views on mortality and individual choice. Operating at once as a closely observed, realistic story and a fable populated by archetypal figures, Taste of Cherry challenges the viewer to consider what often goes unexamined in everyday life.
*Please note, the screening on Wednesday February 28 is our Free Members' Screening, and the screening on Wednesday March 6 is a general public screening.
Cast:
Homayoun Ershadi, Abdolrahman Bagheri