Makhmalbaf was an Islamic activist before Iran's 1979 revolution,
imprisoned for wounding a policeman. He re-created the incident in A
Moment Of Innocence, combining fantasy, reality and reflection to
create a new kind of truth. He followed this with the extraordinary
Salaam Cinema!, in which he films auditions for a film composed
entirely of auditions, using the process to interrogate himself and
his art form. He remains best known in the west for the colour-drenched
Gabbeh and an appearance in Kiarostami's Close Up, though in Iran
comedies like The Cyclist are more popular. His latest project is
dynastic, helping his family make films, especially his precocious
daughter Samira.
