Close-up, directed by Abbas Kiarostami and released in 1990 follows Hossain Sabzian, a man passionate about cinema and accused of attempted fraud as he approaches the Ahankhah family by pretending to be Mohsen Makhmalbaf, a renowned filmmaker in Iran to approach a family. Using the genre of docufiction, an intersection between fiction and documentary, the acting technique used for this film is all the more interesting as the characters are played by the actual people that this real life story is based on. Through its own unique genre and means of filmmaking, Close-up is a multi-layered film that raises interrogations on many matters such as cinema, art, identity and social inequalities. 

The film addresses social inequalities and Makhmalbaf’s filmography particularly resonates with Hossain Sabzian’s own experiences and personal feelings as said during his trial; “A good man comes along who portrays all my suffering in his films, and I can go see them over and over again”, the film allows for Sabzian to get a voice and being a representative of a part of society’s reality. Motivated by his passion for the arts and the appeal of being perceived as someone coming from another social class by others, Sabzian seeks comfort, belonging and recognition. In his acting performance as a famous director that he profoundly admires, he still wishes he didn't have to act. The judge asks him “What part would you like to play?” “ -My own” is his answer, but he does not get to do that in this system. Towards the end of the trial, the Ahankhah’s declare that they are willing to forgive him if Sabzian is to become a “useful member to society”, marginalising him again, and reminding him that he has to change his role in order to be considered and recognised. 

Another way to consider this film is to understand the power of the camera as a tool to present and deliver another truth and the government's position towards cinema, but also how it defies the codes of traditional Hollywood through its unusual linear and structured narrative. Through its genre and reenactment technique, Close-up flirts with the traditional norms of how a film should be directed, such as its narrative timeline and content. Some of Abbas Kiarostami’s films have been censored, such as The Taste of Cherry (1997) and The Wind Will Carry Us (1999) by Iran’s government. However, the very action of still directing means refusing oppression and fighting against a regime that tries to shut down other narratives. Today, Close-up is considered one of the greatest films ever directed.

The film highlights how a man such as Hossain Sabzian is perceived in society because of his belonging to a low social class, thus classified as insignificant, and this film renders him his humanity, making its audience identify and getting close to him, questioning our very position towards it. This docufictionshows a story that is not isolated, but rather proposes a close up vision in-depth on it that resonates with a bigger systemic issue. Through its very title, Kiarostami insinuates this multiple-layered meaning; as close up is a type of cinematic shot, but it also offers a close examination of what seems to be a single and peculiar case, when it is actually universal.