Taste of Cherry
A meditative journey through the dusty outskirts of Tehran, where a man seeking death encounters the vibrant, simple textures of life. Minimalist and profound, it juxtaposes the silence of the grave with the sweetness of a mulberry.
Taste of Cherry
Taste of Cherry

طعم گيلاس

28 September 1997 Iran 99 min ⭐ 7.7 (680)
Director: Abbas Kiarostami
Cast: Homayoun Ershadi, Abdolrahman Bagheri, Safar Ali Moradi, Mir Hossein Noori, Elham Imani
Drama
Suicide and Choice Isolation vs. Connection The Sensory Experience of Nature The Fluidity of Identity
Budget: $120,000
Box Office: $10,923

Taste of Cherry - Characters & Cast

Character Analysis

Mr. Badii

Homayoun Ershadi

Archetype: The Tragic Seeker
Key Trait: Melancholic detachment

Motivation

To end his suffering (the cause of which is never revealed) and to find a compassionate witness to bury him, ensuring he does not remain unburied.

Character Arc

He begins as a man resolute in his desire to die, viewing others only as tools to achieve his end. Through his conversations, particularly with Bagheri, his resolve encounters the resistance of life's beauty. He moves from stoic detachment to a moment of vulnerability lying in the grave, watching the thunderstorm.

Mr. Bagheri

Abdolrahman Bagheri

Archetype: The Wise Elder / Mentor
Key Trait: Pragmatic wisdom

Motivation

To earn money for his sick child, but primarily to share his wisdom and perhaps prevent Badii from making a mistake he almost made himself.

Character Arc

He enters as a simple taxidermist but reveals himself to be a survivor of suicide. He agrees to the job not out of greed, but compassion, hoping his words might save Badii.

The Soldier

Safar Ali Moradi

Archetype: The Innocent
Key Trait: Fear

Motivation

To return to his barracks and avoid trouble.

Character Arc

A young Kurdish conscript who represents the instinctual fear of death. He flees Badii's car, unable to comprehend the request.

Cast

Homayoun Ershadi as Mr. Badii
Abdolrahman Bagheri as Mr. Bagheri
Safar Ali Moradi as Soldier
Mir Hossein Noori as Seminarian
Elham Imani as Photographer
Afshin Khorshid Bakhtiari as Worker
Ahmad Ansari as Self