Close-Up is a 1990 Iranian docufiction film written, directed, and edited by Abbas Kiarostami. It tells the story of the real-life trial of a man named Hossain Sabzian, who impersonated filmmaker Mohsen Makhmalbaf and conned a family into believing they would star in his new film. The film features the people involved, acting as themselves, and explores themes of human identity, movies, and artistic creation.
Many critics consider Close-Up one of the greatest films of all time. In the 2012 Sight & Sound poll, it was voted by critics as one of "The Top 50 Greatest Films of All Time," and in the 2022 Sight and Sound critics' poll, it was rated number 17 of the greatest films of all time. The film has been praised for its innovative and transcendent storytelling, as well as its universal themes and fascinating narrative knots.
The film has a runtime of 1 hour and 38 minutes and is in Persian, with English subtitles available. It was produced by The Institute for the Intellectual Development of Children & Young Adults.
Watch For Free
If video doesn't play in browser, try another one. The videos work with Opera, Firefox, Chrome, and Edge. Some films take a bit to load so be patient.
Cast
- Hossain Sabzian as himself
- Abolfazl Ahankhah as himself
- Mehrdad Ahankhah as himself
- Nayer Mohseni Zonoozi as herself
- Mohsen Makhmalbaf as himself
- Ali Reza Zarrin as himself
- Ali Reza Zarrindast as himself
Director: Abbas Kiarostami
Writer: Abbas Kiarostami
Box Office (Gross USA): $2.7K
Distributor: Celluloid Dreams
Release Date (Theaters): Dec 31, 1999
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 23, 2017