Modern Iranian cinema has carved out a unique space in film history through its distinct storytelling and resilient directors. This quiz examines the careers of influential filmmakers like Abbas Kiarostami, Jafar Panahi, and Mohsen Makhmalbaf and the challenges they faced.
You will see questions about specific films including the Koker Trilogy and details regarding the personal histories of these directors. Some parts focus on their creative processes, while others highlight the political landscape that shaped their work.
When you finish this, try Middle Eastern film history, famous directors, or international film festivals.
Which internationally acclaimed filmmaker centered much of his work on rural life and the village of Koker?
Mohsen Makhmalbaf
Mohsen Makhmalbaf
Asghar Farhadi
Asghar Farhadi
Abbas Kiarostami
Abbas Kiarostami
Jafar Panahi
Jafar Panahi
In 1997, which of these films won the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival?
The White Balloon
The White Balloon
The Salesman
The Salesman
A Separation
A Separation
Taste of Cherry
Taste of Cherry
Which director, originally a member of the revolutionary Islamic organization, later became one of the most prominent dissenting voices in Iranian cinema?
Jafar Panahi
Jafar Panahi
Abbas Kiarostami
Abbas Kiarostami
Mohsen Makhmalbaf
Mohsen Makhmalbaf
Bahman Ghobadi
Bahman Ghobadi
Which film by Jafar Panahi deals with the social struggles of various women in Tehran and won the Golden Lion at Venice?
The Mirror
The Mirror
The Circle
The Circle
Crimson Gold
Crimson Gold
Taxi Tehran
Taxi Tehran
Which 2001 film directed by Mohsen Makhmalbaf was inspired by his daughter’s experiences and premiered at the Cannes Film Festival?
The Cyclist
The Cyclist
Kandahar
Kandahar
Close-Up
Close-Up
Gabbeh
Gabbeh
How was Jafar Panahi’s 2011 film ‘This Is Not a Film’ reportedly smuggled out of Iran to reach the Cannes Film Festival?
Filmed in secret and sent via encrypted email
Filmed in secret and sent via encrypted email
Sent via post disguised as a documentary study
Sent via post disguised as a documentary study
Hidden in a suitcase during a diplomatic trip
Hidden in a suitcase during a diplomatic trip
Smuggled on a flash drive inside a cake
Smuggled on a flash drive inside a cake
Which film completes the unofficial ‘Koker Trilogy’ directed by Abbas Kiarostami?
Life, and Nothing More…
Life, and Nothing More…
Ten
Ten
Through the Olive Trees
Through the Olive Trees
Where Is the Friend’s House?
Where Is the Friend’s House?
In this film, Mohsen Makhmalbaf reenacts an incident from his teenage years when he stabbed a policeman during a political uprising. What is the title?
Salaam Cinema
Salaam Cinema
A Moment of Innocence
A Moment of Innocence
The Nights of Zayandeh-Rood
The Nights of Zayandeh-Rood
The Garden of Earthly Delights
The Garden of Earthly Delights
Abbas Kiarostami was famous for his meta-cinematic approach. What was a recurring theme in his films like ‘Close-Up’ and ‘Taste of Cherry’?
The blurring of lines between documentary and fiction
The blurring of lines between documentary and fiction
The struggles of children in urban environments
The struggles of children in urban environments
The mirror effect in cinema
The mirror effect in cinema
The power of the state over the individual
The power of the state over the individual
Which filmmaker was sentenced to a long-term ban on filmmaking and a ban on leaving the country following the 2009 Iranian election protests?
Mohsen Makhmalbaf
Mohsen Makhmalbaf
Abbas Kiarostami
Abbas Kiarostami
Majid Majidi
Majid Majidi
Jafar Panahi
Jafar Panahi
Which family member of Mohsen Makhmalbaf became the youngest director to compete at the Cannes Film Festival at the age of 18?
Samira Makhmalbaf
Samira Makhmalbaf
Hana Makhmalbaf
Hana Makhmalbaf
Mania Akbari
Mania Akbari
Marziyeh Meshkini
Marziyeh Meshkini
Which film by Abbas Kiarostami was his first feature to be filmed entirely outside of Iran, specifically in Tuscany?
Certified Copy
Certified Copy
Ten
Ten
Like Someone in Love
Like Someone in Love
Shirin
Shirin
Which Jafar Panahi film depicts a group of girls trying to sneak into a stadium to watch a World Cup qualifying match?
Hidden Half
Hidden Half
Offside
Offside
The Accordion
The Accordion
The White Balloon
The White Balloon
What primary narrative constraint did Jafar Panahi explore in his films ‘Taxi’ and ‘3 Faces’?
The landscape of the Iranian desert
The landscape of the Iranian desert
The limitations of censorship on creative process
The limitations of censorship on creative process
The daily life of the Iranian middle class
The daily life of the Iranian middle class
The silence of the regime
The silence of the regime
In the film ‘Close-Up’, which of these broadly describes the pretext of the film production Sabzian used in his impersonation of Mohsen Makhmalbaf?
A chance encounter during a taxi ride
A chance encounter during a taxi ride
A newspaper advertisement for a film shoot
A newspaper advertisement for a film shoot
A fake casting call for a theater production
A fake casting call for a theater production
A police report to a film location
A police report to a film location
What was the ultimate fate of director Abbas Kiarostami?
He passed away in Paris in 2016
He passed away in Paris in 2016
He was executed by the state
He was executed by the state
He remains in house arrest in Tehran
He remains in house arrest in Tehran
He fled the country to live in Hollywood
He fled the country to live in Hollywood
Which film by Jafar Panahi was shot secretly at a villa by the Caspian Sea while the director was under house arrest?
Pardé (Closed Curtain)
Pardé (Closed Curtain)
The Circle
The Circle
Taxi Tehran
Taxi Tehran
Crimson Gold
Crimson Gold
Which film, based on a true story about two sisters locked in their home for years, was the directorial debut of Samira Makhmalbaf?
At Five in the Afternoon
At Five in the Afternoon
The Joy of Madness
The Joy of Madness
The Day I Became a Woman
The Day I Became a Woman
The Apple
The Apple
What is the narrative framing of Jafar Panahi’s 2015 film ‘Taxi’?
The protagonist drives a taxi and talks to various passengers
The protagonist drives a taxi and talks to various passengers
The protagonist is a man on a bicycle who must keep moving to stay alive
The protagonist is a man on a bicycle who must keep moving to stay alive
The protagonist refuses to speak for the entire film
The protagonist refuses to speak for the entire film
The protagonist talks to the audience through the camera lens 24/7
The protagonist talks to the audience through the camera lens 24/7
Which of these is considered a signature stylistic choice of Abbas Kiarostami?
The use of non-professional actors playing themselves
The use of non-professional actors playing themselves
The constant breaking of the fourth wall
The constant breaking of the fourth wall
The heavy reliance on grand orchestral scores
The heavy reliance on grand orchestral scores
The poetic realism of the environment
The poetic realism of the environment
Which Iranian government body is responsible for the strict censorship and permit approval for all films in Iran?
The House of Cinema (Khaneh Cinema)
The House of Cinema (Khaneh Cinema)
Farabi Cinema Foundation
Farabi Cinema Foundation
The Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance
The Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance
The Tehran Film Society
The Tehran Film Society
What specific element of Mohsen Makhmalbaf’s life often serves as a point of contention in analyses of his cinematic work?
His controversial 1996 film ‘Gabbeh’
His controversial 1996 film ‘Gabbeh’
His early career as a revolutionary militant
His early career as a revolutionary militant
His exile to Tajikistan
His exile to Tajikistan
His public critique of the Supreme Leader in 2005
His public critique of the Supreme Leader in 2005
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If this piqued your interest, you might also like world cinema, filmmaking behind the scenes, or various film movements. These pages provide more context for your viewing.
