What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedClose-Up
Abbas Kiarostami · Film · 1990
If you loved Close-Up, start with The Closer (James Duff, 2005) — a series on the same thread. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 1 podcast, each matched to Close-Up across media.
What hooked you in Close-Up was the way the blurred lines between performance and reality reveal the fragility of identity.
Books on the same thread
The Trial
Franz Kafka · Book · 1992
Explores: Alienation, Bureaucracy, Guilt.
Just as Close-Up examines the Kafkaesque absurdity of a man on trial for a performance, this novel explores the disorientation of facing a system that denies personal truth.
In Cold Blood
Truman Capote · Book · 2012
Explores: American Dream, Violence, Small Town America.
This narrative mirrors the structural brilliance of Close-Up by blending factual crime reporting with a literary sensibility that questions the nature of truth in criminal storytelling.
Persepolis
Marjane Satrapi · Book
Explores: revolution, cultural identity, exile.
If you appreciated the Iranian cultural context of Close-Up, this memoir offers an intimate, personal perspective on the revolution that shaped the society Kiarostami navigated in his film.
The Stranger
Albert Camus · Book · 1993
Explores: Existential crisis, Moral indifference, Alienation.
The existential weight found in Close-Up carries over here, as this story forces you to confront the indifference of the world and the isolation of the individual soul.
Series on the same thread
The Closer
James Duff · Series · 2005
Explores: female leadership, outsider perspective, interrogation techniques.
While Close-Up explores the artifice of impersonation, this series centers on an outsider navigating complex social dynamics and interrogation tactics to uncover the reality behind a crime.
Agatha Christie's Poirot
Series · 1989
Explores: solving crimes, upper-class society, eccentric detective.
Much like the investigation into a fraudulent filmmaker in Close-Up, this series captures the intellectual satisfaction of unmasking deceptions through careful observation and the unraveling of complex puzzles.
When They See Us
Ava DuVernay · Series · 2019
Explores: Racial injustice, Wrongful conviction, Systemic racism.
This drama echoes the central tension in Close-Up regarding the vulnerability of individuals caught in legal systems, focusing on how systemic bias distorts the lives of the accused.
Inside the Actors Studio
Series · 1994
Explores: Craft of Acting, Hollywood History, Artistic Process.
If the artistic creation process in Close-Up fascinated you, these interviews provide a deeper look into the craft of acting and the motivations behind the performances we watch.
Podcasts on the same thread
Locarno Meets
Podcast
Explores: cinema history, film analysis, artistic process.
These conversations continue the exploration of cinema history and the artistic process that made Close-Up a landmark study of how filmmakers interpret the world through their creative lens.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is Close-Up a documentary or a fiction film?
Close-Up is a fiction-documentary hybrid. It uses a real-life event as the basis for its narrative, featuring the actual people involved in the case playing themselves to create a multilayered investigation into identity, artistic creation, and the nature of existence.
What is the premise of Close-Up?
The plot of Close-Up centers on a young man arrested for fraudulently impersonating the well-known filmmaker Mohsen Makhmalbaf. The film uses this real-life sensational event to explore deeper themes regarding movies, identity, and the process of artistic creation.
Does Close-Up feature professional actors?
Close-Up does not rely on professional actors for its main roles. Instead, the film features the real people from the legal case playing themselves, which allows the production to function as a unique hybrid of documentary and fiction.
What themes does Close-Up explore?
Close-Up investigates the intersection of movies, identity, artistic creation, and existence. By centering on the true story of a man impersonating a filmmaker, the movie examines how these concepts blur together when real people reenact their own lives on screen.