Through the Olive Trees (Abbas Kiarostami, 1994) - [Love and Life]

Checkout the first and second film thoughts of Koker Trilogy: 

Where Is the Friend’s House? - 1987

Life, and Nothing More…  - 1992

Through the Olive Trees (1994) is the last film in Abbas Kiarostami’s Koker Trilogy. It tells a simple but deep story about love, class differences, and filmmaking.

The movie is about a film crew making a movie in a village in northern Iran after an earthquake. One of the actors, Hossein is in love with his co-star, Tahereh. In the movie, they play a married couple, but in real life, Tahereh ignores him because he is poor. Hossein doesn’t give up and keeps trying to talk to her, hoping she will change her mind.

Kiarostami films this story in a very real and natural way. The scenes feel like real life and the conversations are slow and thoughtful. One of the most beautiful moments is the last scene  where Hossein walks through the olive trees, calling Tahereh’s name. We never hear her answer, leaving the ending open to our imagination.

This movie is about more than just love. It makes us think about real-life struggles and how movies show the truth. Through the Olive Trees is simple, but it leaves a deep feeling in the heart. Just like many of Kiarostami’s films.

Check out more film thoughts here: Films and Thoughts