TEHRAN -- The Art and Experience Cinemas in Tehran are scheduled to celebrate today as Iran’s National Day of Cinema by screening two documentary films in commemoration of recently-deceased filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami.

“76 Minutes and 15 Seconds with Kiarostami”, a montage film made by Kiarostami’s close friend and collaborator Seifollah Samadian, is one of the films that will be shown at the cinemas, which are dedicated to screening art films and other movies aimed typically at a limited audience.

The idea to make the film was offered by Kiarostami’s son, Ahmad, after his father’s death on July 4 and the 73rd Venice Film Festival screened it during a commemoration for Kiarostami.

The title of the film refers to the duration of Kiarostami’s life, 76 years and 15 days.

The other film is “Once Upon a Time in Marrakech”, another documentary by Samadian about joint workshops held by Kiarostami and Oscar-winning director Martin Scorsese for 16 film students from New York City and Morocco. The students converged on Marrakech as guests of the Tribeca Film Institute, Tribeca Film Festival and the Marrakech International Film Festival Foundation in 2005.

Samadian accompanied Kiarostami on some of his projects over the past 25 years. He collaborated as a cinematographer in Kiarostami’s documentaries “ABC Africa”, “Roads of Kiarostami” and “Five Dedicated to Ozu”. 

He also accompanied Kiarostami in numerous travels that he made to create his photo collections.

MMS/YAW