A masterclass by Iranian director Iraj Tahmasb was held on Saturday, 29 November, as part of the Talent Campus at the 43rd Fajr International Film Festival.
In this session, Tahmasb discussed the boundary between realism and imagination in art, stating, “Unlike the world of science, an artist creates grand narratives from the smallest details, and this focus on the subject is what divides cinema into the realistic and the imaginative.”
Tahmasb highlighted the difference between science and art: “In science, when a social or environmental problem arises, experts gather, research extensively, and eventually find a solution – a vaccine, a medicine, or a discovery. The artist works differently. They start from something small – a notebook, a scrap of paper, or even a cigarette butt may spark an idea. Perhaps Abbas Kiarostami began his film ‘Where Is the Friend’s Home?’ by noticing a school notebook. From something small, something profound and human emerges. This is the power of art: moving from details to the whole.”
He added, “Kiarostami may have seen a simple notebook, and that small detail inspired a remarkable work. Many great stories begin with tiny ideas that an artist nurtures over years to develop a full narrative.”
Tahmasb compared this process to music: “Beethoven built his Fifth Symphony on just a few notes, yet with different instruments, it became a grand symphony. Similarly, an artist can take a simple subject and, through their interpretation, create a brilliant work. Therefore, artists must first identify the ‘subject,’ not just the concept. We must clarify what the subject is and what the concept is.”
He explained further: “If we imagine being in the Stone Age without names or concepts for objects, we might see a tree and simply call it ‘tree,’ without knowing what kind it is. Humans had to name things to communicate and define boundaries. Words may represent general ideas, but the ‘subject’ is precise, like light shining on it – you know exactly what you are dealing with. In Kiarostami’s ‘Where Is the Friend’s Home?’ the focus is on Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh’s notebook, not other notebooks. Similarly, in art, we must have a specific subject, like the ‘Mona Lisa’ focuses solely on that face. A subject is a specific entity, and in filmmaking, we need a clear subject to build the story.”
Tahmasb, the Talent Campus director, emphasized: “In every film, we follow a character – ‘Forrest Gump,’ ‘Lincoln,’ ‘Hitler,’ or any other protagonist. In life, we also seek people we care about. Our eyes are like a camera frame, always following a subject. Focusing on the subject is essential for storytelling. The world has good and bad elements: good things make us feel joy, bad things cause discomfort. This is where the artist’s choice matters: some show hardship and suffering, while others highlight the positive to uplift audiences, such as in children’s or romantic films.”
He concluded, “Cinema has formulas, and the most important is ‘contrast. ’ To tell a story, you need conflict and contrast. If you want to show two people in love, show the reasons – the loneliness, the struggle. Motivation and events are key story elements. The challenge is finding what conditions allow a character to move from difficulty to ease in a way that engages the audience. Middle-class stories are often short, but magnificent narratives start from hardship and reach happiness.”
