ده

BFI Film Classics

by Geoff Andrew, محمد شهبا (Translator)

Iranian Abbas Kiarostami burst onto the international film scene in the early 1990s and--as demonstrated by the many major prizes he has won--is now widely regarded as one of the most distinctive and talented modern-day directors. In 2002, with 10, Kiarostami broke new ground, fixing one or two digital cameras on a car's dashboard to film ten conversations between the driver (Mania Akbari) and her various passengers. The results are astonishing: though formally rigorous, even austere, and documentary-like in its style, 10 succeeds both as emotionally affecting human drama and as a critical analysis of everyday life in today's Tehran.


In this study, Geoff Andrew looks at 10 within the context of Kiarostami's career, of Iranian cinema's recent renaissance, and of international film culture. Drawing on a number of detailed interviews he conducted with both Kiarostami and his lead actress, Andrew sheds light on the unusual methods used in making the film, on its political relevance, and on its remarkably subtle aesthetic.

Genres: Film

143 pages, Paperback

First published April 19, 2005

Reviews

[Zari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very insightful book into ‘Ten’ directed by Abbas Kiarostami, which entails a series of ten conversations between Mania and her passengers as they drive around Tehran, including with her son.

I would definitely recommend watching the film before reading this short Bfi book- It goes into detail about the plot and the director’s purpose behind some of the scenes.

[Kai Weber · Rating 3 out of 5]

For movie lovers the following statement must be a sacrilege, but I can't help it: Having read this book I feel so well informed, I probably don't really have to see the movie anymore. Which then again sounds like an enormous praise of the book. Yet then again, it's overall rather brief, and feels like raising all the aspects of what has to be said, but doesn't go too deep into interpretations or speculations either.

[Mike O'Brien · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent short book on a modern masterpiece. Essential introduction to this film and its important director.

[Christopher · Rating 2 out of 5]

Like other entries in the BFI Film Classics series, this is a brief (80 pages in small format) exploration of a particular film, this time Abbas Kiarostami’s Ten, with numerous illustrations. Andrew spends more time than other entries in discussing the director’s early work and the national and international cinema context, which ultimately leaves less space for Ten. Andrews covers the basics and gives a little context of Iran’s limitations on filmmaking, but in spite of access to Kiarostami and his lead actress, he doesn’t really get behind the scenes.

Andrew claims several times that Ten is a masterpiece, though in my own ranking of Kiarostami’s mature work, this film is down near the bottom. My appreciation of Ten was not much deepened by the book, and I found especially tiresome the conclusion to this book that reads like a fanboi’s gushing about his idol.