Taste of Cherry

The first Iranian film to win the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival is one of great humanity and complexity, boasting one of cinema's most daring and memorable endings.

Mr Badii is driving around construction sites on the dusty outskirts of Tehran. He’s looking for someone to dispose of his body after he commits suicide; and he attempts to enlist the help of a young soldier, a seminarian and a taxidermist.

Masterfully shot in a rich, earthy palette by Homayun Payvar, A Taste of Cherry, like his previous work on And Life Goes On, makes exceptional use of framing to give a sense of deep intimacy and vast expanses. Its minimalism, long shots and lack of a score allows its deeply human themes to take prominence, and for Kiarostami, the film and mere exploration of its subject were an expression of hope.

As he explained to Godfrey Cheshire, “When you have this trump card up your sleeve, you can live better. Just like me right now driving; whenever I feel sleepy, I can pull to the side of the road and rest. But if I didn’t have this opportunity, I wouldn’t be able to continue driving. Knowing that I can stop the car, however, I can keep driving to Tehran.”

– Kristy Matheson