Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami dies at 76 in Paris

Abbas Kiarostami, the Iranian filmmaker who won the Palme d'Or in 1997 for 'Taste of Cherry', passed away on 4 July 2016 in Paris at age 76. He had been diagnosed with gastrointestinal cancer in March 2016. Kiarostami first gained international recognition through his Koker trilogy, with 'Where Is the Friend's Home?' (1987) earning him the Bronze Leopard at the Locarno film festival. Fellow Oscar-winning Iranian director Asghar Farhadi described him as a modern mystic whose influence extended beyond cinema. Farhadi noted that Kiarostami's loss was felt not just in film circles but globally. The filmmaker's career spanned decades and left a significant mark on world cinema.