“Where Is the Friend's House?``Kiarostami's movie magic that directed ``Amateur Actor''

What does it mean for people to act?

“Where Is the Friend's House? The more you learn about the behind-the-scenes stories behind the filming of ``The more you learn, the more fundamental questions you will be asked about what it means for people to act. At the same time, I find myself pondering what it takes to reflect the ``real thing'' in a movie. The production is certainly cruel, sometimes actually making the boy cry. So what would have happened if they had prepared a child actor who could act and a professional actor who would do the laundry without asking? The actors could have easily played the role of villagers. However, he did not actually speak the local dialect, wore make-up and beautiful costumes, and played the role of an innocent child living in a simple village. It's like a stereotypical, fictional reenactment.

Above all else, Kiarostami sought to reflect reality. Feeling a sense of regret that ``the life that is vibrantly blooming behind the screen wilts, withers, and disappears when in front of the camera,'' he constantly thought about and put into practice how he could reflect life itself. Just pointing the camera at something doesn't necessarily show reality. That's why he uses tricks and ingenuity, sometimes lies to the performers, and discovers The Truth from the lies.

“Where Is the Friend's House?” (C) 1987 KANOON

After this film, Kiarostami directed a somewhat unusual documentary called Homework (1989). Children who actually go to school are placed in front of the camera, and the director himself asks them questions about their homework. Children who suddenly become the subject of interviews sometimes burst into tears, perhaps from anxiety. The director waits patiently until the children stop crying and are able to talk about their home environment in their own words. As the film depicts the expressions of many children, the problems facing Iran's education system gradually become apparent. Then, at the end, a surprising development occurs.

``Homework,'' which depicts children busy with homework, and ``Where Is the Friend's House?''” effortlessly cross the line between documentary and fiction in their own ways.

[References]

Abbas Kiarostami, Qumars Pourahmad, “ And the Movie Continues ”, Shohreh Golparian, translated by Etsuko Doi, Shobunsha, 1994.

“ Asian Film Forest: Cinema Map of the New Century ” supervised by Kenji Ishizaka and others, Sakuhinsha, 2012.

“ The Miraculous Filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami ” edited by Etsuko Doi and Yoichi YamazakiEurospace, 1993.

Etsuko Doi (ed.) , Abbas Kiarostami: The Truth lies beyond reality and fiction, Eurospace, 1995.

Text: Rie Tsukinaga

Film writer and editor. Editor of the magazine "Eiga Yokocho". He writes film reviews, columns, and interviews for Asahi Shimbun, Metropolitana, Weekly Bunshun, iD JAPAN, etc. He also edits books and movie pamphlets under the name Eiga Bar Editorial Office. Currently in charge of MC for the web program "Katsuben Cinema Club". eigasakaba.net

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(C) 1987 KANOON