Pamela Anderson Hails Abbas Kiarostami as Cinema’s True Trailblazer

It’s fair to say Pamela Anderson is enjoying a new chapter, and if you haven’t noticed, you might not be looking closely enough. The Canadian star, once typecast as CJ in Baywatch, spent five seasons dashing along the sand in that iconic red swimsuit, occasionally chatting about crystals or the odd mythical creature. No matter how you slice it, the role was built on the fantasies of blokes everywhere. Decades have passed since those days, and after a string of headline-grabbing marriages and relentless tabloid attention, Anderson is finally stepping out from the shadow of her own fame, catching many off guard in the process.

Whether she’s dishing out gardening tips on telly or breaking into a solo scat number in The Naked Gun, Anderson has managed to silence the gossip columns of the ‘90s and early 2000s without so much as a pointed word. It’s no shock to anyone paying attention that there’s more to her than meets the eye, but if you’ve missed it, here’s another reason to tune in.

Anderson’s Unexpected Love for World Cinema

During a recent visit to the Criterion Closet, Anderson made it clear she’s a true film buff. Her first pick from the shelves was the steamy French drama La Piscine, where Alain Delon lounges by a pool, exuding enough charm to leave anyone a bit dizzy. She followed up with David Lynch’s Blue Velvet, Henri-Georges Clouzot’s La Vérité, Jean-Luc Godard’s Breathless, and Federico Fellini’s La Strada. But it was an Iranian director who really caught her admiration.

Holding up a copy of the Koker trilogy, Anderson said,

[He] was the original gangster when it came to those kinds of beautiful films that are so poetic

. That’s high praise, especially considering the likes of Fritz Lang, Powell and Pressburger, and Ingmar Bergman have all made their mark in poetic cinema. Still, Kiarostami’s work stands out for good reason.

Kiarostami’s Minimalist Mastery

Anderson singled out the Koker trilogy—Where Is the Friend’s House? (1987), Life, and Nothing More… (1992), and Through the Olive Trees (1994)—as prime examples of Kiarostami’s craft. You could easily add Taste of Cherry and The Wind Will Carry Us to the list, showing just how much he shaped the New Wave in Iranian film. Unlike many, he managed to work within strict government censorship, developing a pared-back style that still revealed heaps about his characters and their world.

His films are known for long takes, wide shots, and minimal dialogue, drawing viewers in to read between the lines. There’s a personal, spiritual, and sometimes existential thread running through his stories, with many blurring the line between fiction and documentary. It’s a style that asks punters to look closer, to find meaning in the everyday.

Redefining the Power of Film

Kiarostami’s approach made him one of the great minimalists of his era, showing just how much cinema can reveal about ordinary life. His work moves audiences far beyond his own borders, and Anderson clearly recognises the impact. By shining a light on his films, she’s reminding everyone that there’s more to the art form than just spectacle—sometimes, it’s the quiet moments that hit hardest.