Details

Release year: 1990

Storyline

The true story of Hossain Sabzian, a cinephile who impersonated the director Mohsen Makhmalbaf to convince a family they would star in his so-called new film.

Top credits

Directors

Abbas Kiarostami

Writers

Abbas Kiarostami

Cast

Hossain Sabzian — Hossain Sabzian (Bazigar)
Mohsen Makhmalbaf — Mohsen Makhmalbaf (Kargardan)
Abolfazl Ahankhah — Abolfazl Ahankhah (Pedar-e Khanevadeh)
Mehrdad Ahankhah — Mehrdad Ahankhah (Pesar-e Ahankhah)

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Did you know

• In the final scene outside the jail when Sabzian is surprised and touched to meet the real director he had been impersonating, Mohsen Makhmalbaf, we don't hear most of their talk because (we're told) the sound equipment was faulty. In reality, Kiarostami just didn't want to leave the dialogue in, because it didn't come off well: Sabzi was genuinely moved to meet his idol and spoke from his heart, but Makhmalbaf was just repeating scripted lines, so the dialogue didn't work.

• Ranked number 39 non-English-speaking film in the critics' poll conducted by the BBC in 2018.

• One of Safdie Brothers's five favorite films of all time.