Close-Up

"I feel the urge to shout to the world the anguish of my soul, the torments I've experienced, all my sorrows - but no one wants to hear them. Then a good man comes along who portrays all my suffering in his films, and I can go see them over and over again."A popular question that arises a lot in my personal life, when people question the reasoning behind why I watch so many movies; and for what purpose - I never truly get behind my motive - as it seems to be one of those things that remains indescribable. Countless times have those around me — my peers, friends, and passing-faces — have denounced the essence of film-making, as some nuanced style of solemn 'entertainment.' And it disheartens me to realize that many, will never truly grasp the profoundness of cinema on a persons life, what it does for an individual — bringing a comfort that may not be accessible in reality — but familiar, and livable in the realm of film; a moment of sympathy, and relatable-nature, to be able to visualize your own struggles —  and validate them — as they appear on-screen. A small glimpse of exploration, of a world that you may never visit, a culture you'll never get accustomed to — a group of people you'd never think of admiring, even loving — all of which is brought towards consideration, and perception within such a beautiful medium. Close-Up is exactly this; that feeling you get, that moment of authentication that you receive as you view a film. How such reactions towards cinema last, and shape you — and more importantly, embrace you in your entirety — your imperfections, and your pursuits: messages that last a lifetime, that are lived, encountered for a short run-time, of the long-legacy of an individual's existence. Abbas Kiarostami presents such a mode through the real story of a person so disheveled from his anguishes, he can only hope to find comfort in the domain of movies; where his feelings, are represented and consoled. A film that shatters the boundaries of the screen. Transforming itself from a character-study, to an example, a catalyst towards the impact, and beauty of film. A therapy of some sorts - an exploitation of character — pacifying all that is restless, and throbbing in pain. Close-Up demonstrates the very honest art-form that is film-making, the effect it has on cultures, and the importance of dwelling; stalling on moments purely conceivable on the silver-screen, that crush us, warm-us — caress us. The role of the filmmaker, the importance of people like Abbas Kiarostami, shaping our role on people and narratives — that otherwise may be perceived as distasteful — reassuring us, the viewers, that no struggle is ostracized. Humans  remain problematic, but the bonds we make through cinema, this miraculous art-form is what transforms our world.