Roads and Trees 

Abbas Kiarostami made this photograph, titled 'Roads and Trees', using black and white film. The image presents a winding road cutting through a stark, rural landscape. In post-revolutionary Iran, Kiarostami turned away from overtly political filmmaking, favoring instead neorealist stories about everyday life. This photograph reflects that sensibility. Roads, for Kiarostami, are potent symbols. They represent journeys, both literal and metaphorical, and the possibilities of connection and escape, or perhaps, remaining on a never-ending road. The lack of trees emphasizes a stripped-down and direct approach to the landscape, reflecting a wider cultural turn towards simplicity in Iranian art. Understanding Kiarostami’s vision requires research into Iranian cinema and visual culture of the late 20th century. This image operates as a commentary on the relationship between the individual and the land and on the power of simple imagery to express complex cultural ideas.