Iranian director Abbas Kiarostami, admired by critics and such luminaries as Akira Kurosawa, creates a unique blend of documentary and fiction -- lyrical, humanist, neo-realistic films made on location, using non-professional actors, and often integrating events from the world offscreen. In Close-Up, an imposter worms his way into a family by posing as a famous film director. Three films-Where is the Friend's Home?; And Life Goes On; and Through the Olive Trees-are set in northern Iranian villages (devastated by an earthquake before the beginning of the second film). The films in this trilogy use many of the same non-professional actors, who often play roles that expand upon the earlier films and include elements from their own lives.