Darius KADIVAR reports from Paris, FRANCE

Iranian Maestro to shoot film this September with French Star Juliette Binoche

In a recent interview with the Persepolis Cultural Association of Toulouse in France, Abass Kiarostami the Famed Iranian Film Maestro and Cannes Palme D'Or winner of 1997 for The Taste of the Cherry confirmed that he will be shooting a film with French Star Juliette Binoche (Oscar winner for the English Patient) who visited Iran last year.

Based on a personal true story by Kiarostami the film is  to be shot in Italy at the Tuscan town of San Gimignano

The film's title in Persian will be 'Roonevesht barabar Asl Ast' aka 'Copie Conforme'
in French aka 'Certified Copy'. Šimdb.com

This will be the very first Iranian film to be shot with a Western film Star (notably a former Oscar Awardee.) since the Islamic Revolution of 1979. Hollywood and Western productions with Iran had ceased. The last Major productions being Valerio Zurlini's Desert of the Tartars shot in Bam and the Hollywood Epic Caravans Starring Behrouz Vossoughi, Jeniffer ONeill and Anthony Quinn.

The last Western Co-Productions in Iran involving an Iranian and
Western/Hollywood cast Šimdb.com

Binoche made history with an Oscar for Best
Supporting role in the English Patient as the
2^nd French actor to ever get and Oscar
after the late Simone Signoret Šimdb

Recommended Readings: 

-          Persian Golden Boys in Hollywood by Darius KADIVAR

-          Iranian Pioneers of the French New Wave Cinema by Darius KADIVAR

-          Asgar for an Oscar by Darius KADIVAR

About the Author: Darius KADIVAR is a Freelance Journalist, Film Historian, and Media Consultant.