24 Frames Blu-ray - Abbas Kiarostami

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S E A R C H D V D B e a v e r

Directed by Abbas Kiarostami
Iran / France 2017

For what would prove to be his final film, Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami gave himself a challenge: to create a dialogue between his work as a filmmaker and his work as a photographer, bridging the two art forms to which he had dedicated his life. Setting out to reconstruct the moments immediately before and after a photograph is taken, Kiarostami selected twenty-four still images—most of them stark landscapes inhabited only by foraging birds and other wildlife—and digitally animated each one into its own subtly evolving four-and-a-half-minute vignette, creating a series of poignant studies in movement, perception, and time. A sustained meditation on the process of image making, 24 Frames is a graceful and elegiac farewell from one of the giants of world cinema.

Poster

Theatrical Release: May 23rd, 2017 (Cannes Film Festival)

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Review: Criterion Collection - Region 'A' / 'B' - Blu-ray

Box Cover		CLICK to order from: Also available, on Blu-ray, from Criterion in the UK:
Distribution	Criterion Collection - Spine #956 - Region 'A' / 'B' - Blu-ray
Runtime	1:53:56.029
Video	1.78:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 44,029,984,924 bytes Feature: 34,867,955,712 bytes Video Bitrate: 35.20 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video
	NOTE: The Vertical axis represents the bits transferred per second. The Horizontal is the time in minutes.
Bitrate Blu-ray:
Audio	DTS-HD Master Audio English 3586 kbps 5.1 / 48 kHz / 3586 kbps / 24-bit (DTS Core: 5.1 / 48 kHz / 1509 kbps / 24-bit)
Subtitles	English, none
Features	Release Information: Studio: Criterion Collection 1.78:1 1080P Dual-layered Blu-ray Disc Size: 44,029,984,924 bytes Feature: 34,867,955,712 bytes Video Bitrate: 35.20 Mbps Codec: MPEG-4 AVC Video Edition Details: • New interview with director Abbas Kiarostami’s son Ahmad Kiarostami, who helped finish the film after his father’s death (08:39) • New conversation between Iranian film scholar Jamsheed Akrami and film critic Godfrey Cheshire (09:45) • New short documentary "Print: In Memory of Abbas Kiarostami" about the making of the film by Abbas Kiarostami collaborator Salma Monshizadeh (13:59) • Trailer (01:21) • PLUS: An essay by film critic Bilge Ebiri • New cover by Katherine Lam Blu-ray Release Date: January 8th, 2019 Transparent Blu-ray Case Chapters 24

Comments:

NOTE: The below Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

24 Frames is a collection of 24 short 4.5- minute films inspired by still images, including paintings and photographs. These shorts usually consist of some sort of animation or movement involving said still image. This Blu-ray is derived from a 2k digital master. The 1080i (interlaced, not progressive) video is shown at 30 frames/second (typical video speed). This lack of a progressive presentation would normally signify a weaker picture but in this case, due to the nature of the image (and its movement), the experience is a pleasurable one. What little colors there are look strong, and contrast levels are nice.

What audio exists here is purely atmospheric, adding to the mood of the images. This is a 24-bit 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio track. There are optional SDH subtitles, mostly consisting of sound cues ie. (thunder clapping) (wind rustling). This is a Region 'A' Blu-ray in the US and Region 'B' Blu-ray in the UK.

Criterion have provided a handful of extras here for this final film from Kiarostami. "Print: In Memory of Abbas Kiarostami" is a short documentary about the making of the film by Abbas Kiarostami collaborator Salma Monshizadeh. Director Abbas Kiarostami’s son Ahmad Kiarostami appears in a 9-minute interview showing how he came to help finish the film following his father's death. There is also a 10-minute new conversation between Iranian film scholar Jamsheed Akrami and film critic Godfrey Cheshire regarding Kiarostami. This film is somewhat of a contemplative affair, so the lack of extensive contextual material here is irrelevant. We are also treated to an essay from film critic Bilge Ebiri.

24 frames is a beautiful and mysterious swansong from the late director, Abbas Kiarostami. Criterion's Blu-ray represents the way this film was intended to be seen. Recommended to fans of the inventive and artistic Kiarostami.