Abbas Kiarostami, I Remember
For more than twenty years, Massoumeh Lahidji has attended conversations with prominent filmmakers as an interpreter at festivals, masterclasses, interviews, and film productions. Among all the voices she has translated, one has left a particularly profound mark on her: that of Abbas Kiarostami.
Ten years after the death of the Iranian director, poet and photographer, Lahidji remembers an artist whose work and thought continue to stay with her to this day. Born out of personal closeness and many years of collaboration, her impressions, observations, and memories go far beyond the standard tribute to a cinematic artist.
In the spirit of Georges Perec, the event follows no chronology, makes no claim of completeness. Instead, a multifaceted portrait of Kiarostami emerges from fragments, anecdotes, and reflections — capturing his humor, his wisdom, and his unique view of the world. A personal invitation to encounter one of contemporary cinema’s most important filmmakers in new ways.
Lecture held in english.
ABBAS KIAROSTAMI, I REMEMBER
text by Massoumeh Lahidji
For the past twenty years, I have been the interpreter of countless directors at countless events: festivals, screening Q&As, masterclasses, interviews, film shoots. When translating, I never take any notes. The ideas, the words, the emotions of these directors are not aimed at me and are not supposed to be captured, they belong to a moment I am entrusted with before I pass them on to their audience.
And yet, one artist has left a profound impression on me. It was Abbas Kiarostami, in fact, who gave me this role in the film world. His way of seeing the world, his wisdom and wit, the fragments that his cinema, his photography and his poetry are made of, have shaped my mind and soul and are always with me.
Ten years after his passing, I am often overcome by the feeling that I am holding a treasure that does not belong to me. The world should be aware of the uniqueness of this artist.
One fear that haunts me is that today’s viewers, inundated as they are with images and sounds, and with mainstream cinema, may forget him. So I allow myself to remember. And share. In the style of Perec – without any hierarchy or context, any claim to completeness or intention to lecture – I simply invite you to follow me into the world of the most extraordinary artist I have ever had the privilege of being alongside.
More info on the Cinematography here!
