Mahmoud Reza Sani is an award winning filmmaker and the president of the Ibn Arabi Film Festival (IBAFF) located in Murcia, Spain. He has written, directed and produced several short and feature films, documentaries and television serials. In 2000 he founded Arvandan Film Production which specializes in low budget, high caliber documentaries and films which are often shot under difficult conditions. Men at Work: Cinematic Lessons from Abbas Kiarostami is his first book.

Cinematic Lessons from Abbas Kiarostami

What if you could take a Master Class from a Master of Cinema?

In a new book, Mahmoud Reza Sani takes us inside such a class. He allows us to sit in on a workshop taught by critically-acclaimed award-winning director Abbas Kiarostami (Taste of Cherry, Certified Copy, Like Someone in Love).

In February 2012, Abbas Kiarostami traveled to Spain to receive the Ibn-Arabi trophy for a lifetime of artistic achievements. It was decided at that time that he would hold a 10 day film maker workshop for 35 students who had traveled from all over the world in eager anticipation to attend this once in a lifetime event.

We join Kiarostami in class as he converses with the students and author, Mahmoud Sani. We listen as Kiarostami reminisces about some of his past experiences and offers insight into his cinematic style. We learn as he advises the students on how to shape their stories and find their voice, not only in the world of film but also in their lives.

The book also includes the foreword ‘Lessons of Refusal’ written by famed French Screenwriter Jean-Claude Carrière (Discreet Charm of the Bourgeoisie, Belle du Jour).