Unveiling Beauty in the Ordinary: Abbas Kiarostami's Genius | Matthew Germenis | McFly's Movie House #008

McFly's Movie House

Abbas Kiarostami's Koker Trilogy, comprising Where Is the Friend's Home? (1987), Life, and Nothing More... (1992), and Through the Olive Trees (1994), hold immense significance in world cinema. Kiarostami intertwines fiction and reality through this trilogy, blurring the lines between documentary and narrative filmmaking. Set against the rural backdrop of Koker in Iran, the trilogy explores themes of resilience, compassion, and the human spirit in the face of adversity. Kiarostami's distinctive approach, characterized by long takes and a poetic visual style, invites viewers to contemplate the essence of life and the intricate connections between the characters and their surroundings. The Koker Trilogy is a testament to Kiarostami’s artistic prowess and ability to capture the universal through the lens of the seemingly ordinary, leaving an enduring impact on contemporary cinema.

Matthew and I will discuss these three films and why they're so powerful. Also included will be Taste of Cherry, another one of his films that, although not part of the trilogy, deserves to be mentioned.
Matthew Germenis is a writer, podcaster, and movie aficionado. He has written extensively on Philip Roth, Wordsworth, and 20th-century American history. Matthew recently worked as an editor for the Institute for Thomas Paine Studies podcast, Public History in a Virtual Age. Bright Wall/Dark Room includes his essay "Hollywood's Last Cowboy" on Leonardo DiCaprio's Westerns. His podcast Visceral Reactions explores the intersection of pop culture, history, and politics throughout the last century of horror movies.
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