Mahmoud Kalari

Camera operator

April 30, 1951 (75 years)

Tehran, Iran

Biography

Mahmoud Kalari (Persian: محمود کلاری; born in Tehran) is an Iranian cinematographer, screenwriter, film director, and photographer who has worked with number of renowned Iranian directors such as Abbas Kiarostami, Jafar Panahi, Asghar Farhadi, and Mohsen Makhmalbaf. After completing photography courses in the United States, he held his first photo exhibition titled "Visit with People Around Us" at Tehran University in 1976. A few years later he was employed by the Paris-based Sigma Photo News A…

Filmography

7.9

A Separation

A married couple are faced with a difficult decision - to improve the life of their child by moving to another country or to stay in Iran and look after a deteriorating parent who has Alzheimer's disease.

7.1

The Wind Will Carry Us

Irreverent city engineer Behzad comes to a rural Kurdish village in Iran to keep vigil for a dying relative. In the meanwhile the film follows his efforts to fit in with the local community and how he changes his own attitudes as a result.

7.2

The Past

After four years apart, Ahmad returns to his wife Marie in Paris in order to progress their divorce. During his brief stay, he cannot help noticing the strained relationship between Marie and her daughter Lucie. As he attempts to improve matters between mother and daughter Ahmad unwittingly lifts the lid on a long buried secret...

6.2

Shirin

A hundred and fourteen famous Iranian theater and cinema actresses and a French star: mute spectators at a theatrical representation of Khosrow and Shirin, a Persian poem from the twelfth century, put on stage by Kiarostami. The development of the text -- long a favorite in Persia and the Middle East -- remains invisible to the viewer of the film, the whole story is told by the faces of the women watching the show.

6.7

Gabbeh

An elderly couple go about their routine of cleaning their gabbeh, while bickering gently with each other. Magically, a young woman appears, helping the two clean the rug. This young woman belongs to the clan whose history is depicted in the design of the gabbeh, and the rug recounts the story of the courtship of the young woman by a stranger from the clan.

7.0

Offside

During the 2006 World Cup qualifying match between Iran and Bahrain, numerous young women are caught and rounded up for dressing as men so they could gain access to the game. Guarded by several soldiers in a holding pen, the women attempt to keep updated on the score.

7.3

Bab'Aziz

The story of a blind dervish named Bab'Aziz and his spirited granddaughter, Ishtar. Together they wander the desert in search of a great reunion of dervishes that takes place just once every thirty years. With faith as their only guide, the two journey for days through the expansive, barren landscape.

7.6

A Moment of Innocence

A semi-autobiographical account of an incident in Makhmalbaf's life when, as a 17-year-old, he stabbed a policeman at a protest rally. Two decades later, he tracks down the policeman he injured in an attempt to make amends.

6.5

Tickets

A train travels across Italy toward Rome. On board is a professor who daydreams a conversation with a love that never was, a family of Albanian refugees who switch trains and steal a ticket, three brash Scottish soccer fans en route to a match, and a complaining widow traveling to a memorial service for her late husband who's accompanied by a community-service volunteer who's assisting her. Interactions among these Europeans turn on class and nationalism, courtesy and rudeness, and opportunities for kindness.

5.8

Pig

A serial killer is going around killing Iran's most beloved filmmakers. Hasan, a blacklisted filmmaker himself, is depressed and wonders: why isn't he being targeted?

5.5

The Wolf's Trail

Reza and Sadegh-Khan are old friends who are engaged in shady deeds. The next day after his wedding, Reza is arrested hauling the dead body of one of his friends. He is sentenced to jail. Years later, freed from the prison, he is now settled in a little town. A letter arrives from Sadegh to invite him back to the capital city in order to attend his son's wedding.

6.7

Salaam Cinema

Makhmalbaf puts an advertisement in the papers calling for an open casting for his next movie. However when hundreds of people show up, he decides to make a movie about the casting and the screen tests of the would-be actors.

9.0

The Trade

A man who is a news reporter is going to Germany from America to meet his son who is living there. There he tells his son that he is divorced now. The father is pick pocket by two guys.

6.8

The Willow Tree

Youssef, a blind university professor, is suddenly diagnosed with a fatal disease and must undergo treatment in France. Back home, will he find the life he had before?

7.5

Leila

This film tells the story of a semi modern Iranian couple, who are trying to fight the old beliefs and old generation. This is a failing battle because the man is not strong enough.

5.0

Persian Carpet

Persian Carpet is an omnibus film produced by Iran's National Carpet Center and Farabi Cinema Foundation where 15 renowned Iranian directors contributed films on the subject of Persian carpet. Carpets are the reflection of the cultural and historical identity of Iran.

4.0

Friday's Soldiers

The story of four soldiers who on a Friday go to the city with their commander. But this Friday is different and brings many troubles for them which changes them forever.

3.8

Sperm Whale: Roya's Selection

Arjang, A 50-year old man, has loved Roya from his childhood years but he has failed to marry her due to some reasons. Roya migrates to the united states with her family due to some social restrictions of 1980s. Arjang who has never forgotten Roya, meets her different times later but each time he fails to marry her again. He has 50 now and is a wealthy man, so he insists Roya to stay in Iran and marry him.

6.4

Fish & Cat

A group of students travel to a remote region to participate in a kite-flying event. Next to their camp by the lakeside, they find a restaurant with cooks that treat the students with suspicion. Bizarre events lead to a complicated situation, from which the students cannot escape.

6.0

The Lead

Tehran, 1948. A young Jewish couple, Danial and his wife Munes, decide to immigrate to the recently founded state of Israel. But their application is rejected on the ground of the documents against Danial's uncle, Yaghub, how is suspected of betrayal. A Zionist agent, named Yezghel, finds out Yaghub's home and stabs him. One of Yaghub's neighbours who witnesses the crime is blamed for murder. Fearing for their lives, Munes and Danial escape to the north of Iran in order to leave the country. The Neighbour's brother, Nuri, a journalist, sets off on their heels to bring them to the court to give testimony on his brother's innocence.