And Life Goes On
ZENDEGI VA DIGAR HICH is a poignant journey through rural Iran following the devastating earthquake of 1990. A director and his son travel through ruined villages to find actors from his previous film. Along the way, they encounter survivors who, despite their misfortune, continue with their lives. Internationally acclaimed, Kiarostami blends elements of documentary and narrative filmmaking into a moving meditation on resilience and the relentless flow of life. With its minimalist storytelling, slow camera movements, and natural lighting, the film combines poetic cinema with realism through improvised dialogue and amateur performances, capturing the human ability to recover and move forward from disaster.
Kiarostami uses muted colors to reflect the melancholy following the earthquake. Soft pastel hues blend with earthy and gray tones, resembling dust that blankets everything. This creates tranquil, contemplative imagery that emphasizes the emotional depth of recovery and a sense of disorientation. The pastels capture the more subtle aspects of the people, encapsulating their hope in delicate, pale glimmers.
Supporting Film: Tango
The animated avant-garde film TANGO, made in 1980 by Polish experimental filmmaker and artist Zbigniew Rybczyński, begins with a boy climbing over a window into a room to retrieve a ball. A snapshot that is repeated seemingly endlessly.
