# Close-Up (1990 film)

Close-Up (Persian: کلوزآپ ، نمای نزدیک, Klūzāp, nemā-ye nazdīk) is a 1990 Iranian docufiction written, directed and edited by Abbas Kiarostami. The film tells the story of Hossein Sabzian, a man who impersonated film-maker Mohsen Makhmalbaf and conned a family into believing they would star in his new film. The director received permission to film the historic trial; with their agreement, he featured the people involved in re-enacting certain events that had proceeded that. All "play" themselves. Through this work about human identity, Kiarostami gained wider international recognition.
Close-Up is considered to be 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". In the 2022 Sight and Sound critics' poll, it was rated the 17th greatest film of all time.

## Story

Hossain Sabzian is a cinephile, and in particular a big fan of popular Iranian director Mohsen Makhmalbaf. One day, Sabzian is riding a bus with a copy of a published screenplay of the director's The Cyclist. A woman named Mrs. Ahankhah sits next to him, and reveals that she is a fan of the film. Sabzian tells her that he himself is Makhmalbaf, the creator, and learns that her sons are also interested in film.
Posing as Makhmalbaf, Sabzian visits the Ahankhah family several times over the next two weeks. He flatters them by saying he wants to use their house in his next film and their sons as actors. He also borrows 1,900 tomans from one of the sons for cab fare. The father, Mr. Ahankhah, starts to suspect him as an imposter trying to rob them, especially when he sees a magazine photograph showing Makhmalbaf as a younger man with darker hair. He invites a journalist, Hossain Farazmand, to the house, who confirms that Sabzian is indeed an impostor.
The police come to arrest Sabzian, and Farazmand takes several pictures for his upcoming article, to be titled "Bogus Makhmalbaf Arrested".
Kiarostami visits Sabzian in prison and helps to advance the date of his trial, also receiving permission from the judge to film the trial. Sabzian is tried on charges of fraud and attempted fraud. He testifies that he posed as Makhmalbaf because of his deep love for the man's film and cinema as art. He says that he feels seen in his own suffering through these films. Ahankhah's son recounts Sabzian's visits as the family started to suspect him as an impostor.
Given that Sabzian is a young father with no prior record and expresses remorse for his actions, the judge asks the family if they would be willing to pardon Sabzian. They agree in exchange for Sabzian's commitment to become a productive member of society.
After the trial, the director Makhmalbaf meets Sabzian and gives him a ride to the Ahankhahs' house; Kiarostami's crew follows. When they meet Mr. Ahankhah again, he says of Sabzian: "I hope he'll be good now and make us proud of him."

## Cast

* Hossain Sabzian as himself
* Mohsen Makhmalbaf as himself
* Abbas Kiarostami as himself
* Abolfazl Ahankhah as himself
* Mehrdad Ahankhah as himself
* Monoochehr Ahankhah as himself
* Mahrokh Ahankhah as herself
* Haj Ali Reza Ahmadi as himself, the Judge
* Nayer Mohseni Zonoozi as herself
* Ahmad Reza Moayed Mohseni as himself, a family friend
* Hossain Farazmand as himself, a reporter
* Hooshang Shamaei as himself, a Taxi Driver
* Mohammad Ali Barrati as himself, a Soldier
* Davood Goodarzi as himself, a Sergeant
* Hassan Komaili as himself, a Court Recorder
* Davood Mohabbat as himself, a Court Recorder