Is Copy Barabar Asl an Iranian film or a European one?

It is both — a co-production between Iran, France, Italy, and Belgium, directed by the Iranian master Abbas Kiarostami. The story is set in Italy and spoken in English and French, but its sensibility is unmistakably Kiarostami's.

Koja bebinam in farama ro ba subtitle farsi?

Copy Barabar Asl currently streams on K-Time with original-language audio. Persian subtitles are not yet available for this title, but you can watch it with English subtitles on the web or your TV app.

Does the film have a clear plot or is it more experimental?

The narrative is deliberately open-ended — the film poses a central ambiguity about whether its two characters are strangers or a married couple, and it never resolves that question. Viewers who enjoy reflective, dialogue-driven cinema will find it rewarding.

What is the meaning of the title 'Copy Barabar Asl'?

The title translates roughly to 'a copy equal to the original' — a direct reference to Kiarostami's book-within-the-film argument that a perfect copy holds as much value as the original, a thesis that the story then applies to human relationships and identity.

Copy Barabar Asl

Name: Copy Barabar Asl
Genre: Drama, Romance
Released: 2010
Duration: 106 min
Cast: Juliette Binoche, William Shimell, Jean-Claude Carrière, Agathe Natanson, Gianna Giachetti

Director: Abbas Kiarostami

Cast: Juliette Binoche, William Shimell, Jean-Claude Carrière, Agathe Natanson, Gianna Giachetti

Copy Barabar Asl is a 2010 Iranian-European drama film directed by Abbas Kiarostami, starring Juliette Binoche and William Shimell. Shot in the sun-drenched Tuscan countryside, it is a philosophically charged meditation on authenticity, art, and the blurry line between performance and genuine connection.

What is Copy Barabar Asl about?

An English author traveling through Tuscany to present his new book about art and imitation meets a French antiques dealer. What begins as a polite afternoon excursion through the medieval village of Lucignano gradually transforms into something far stranger and more intimate. The two strangers begin to inhabit the roles of a long-married couple, and the film refuses to clarify where theatrical play ends and lived feeling begins — leaving the viewer suspended between two equally compelling readings of a single encounter.

The K-Time take

Kiarostami's first film made entirely outside Iran is a precise, unhurried provocation. Binoche gives a performance of raw, unguarded emotional range while Shimell's understated reserve creates a productive friction. The Tuscan landscape functions almost as a third character, and the film's deliberate ambiguity rewards patient viewers who are comfortable sitting with open questions rather than tidy answers.

Cast & crew

Juliette Binoche, who won the Palme d'Or at Cannes for her performance here, plays the unnamed French woman with exceptional emotional openness. William Shimell, a British opera baritone making his screen debut, brings a controlled coolness to the author. Jean-Claude Carrière, the legendary screenwriter, appears briefly in a supporting role alongside Agathe Natanson and Gianna Giachetti.

Context & significance

Abbas Kiarostami is the defining figure of modern Iranian cinema — a filmmaker whose influence on world cinema is immeasurable. Made as a European co-production, Copy Barabar Asl represents his move toward an international stage without abandoning his signature contemplative style. For diaspora audiences familiar with Kiarostami's earlier Iranian work — the Koker trilogy, Taste of Cherry, The Wind Will Carry Us — this film offers the fascinating experience of watching his philosophy applied to a European setting and a non-Iranian cast. It is a film about how we construct identity and relationship through narrative, a preoccupation that resonates deeply with anyone who has lived between cultures.

Where & how to watch

Copy Barabar Asl is available on K-Time with original-language audio and English subtitles — no VPN needed, no extra download, and no geo-blocking anywhere in the world. Watch on the web, your TV, or your phone; cancel anytime.