--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When we start shooting I don't have…" description: "\"When we start shooting I don't have rehearsals with characters at all. So, rather than pulling them towards myself, I travel closer to them; it's very ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cf/abbas-kiarostami-2631_character_when-we-start-shooting-i-don-t-have-rehe_870760.png" --- # When we start shooting I don't have rehearsals with… ![“When we start shooting I don't have rehearsals with characters at all. So, rather than pulling them towards myself, I travel closer to them; it's very much closer to the real person than anything I try to create. So I give them something but I also take from them.” quote by Abbas Kiarostami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cf/abbas-kiarostami-2631_character_when-we-start-shooting-i-don-t-have-rehe_870760.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cf/abbas-kiarostami-2631_character_when-we-start-shooting-i-don-t-have-rehe_870760.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/9cf/abbas-kiarostami-2631_character_when-we-start-shooting-i-don-t-have-rehe_870760.png) > “When we start shooting I don't have rehearsals with characters at all. So, rather than pulling them towards myself, I travel closer to them; it's very much closer to the real person than anything I try to create. So I give them something but I also take from them.” [Abbas Kiarostami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbas-kiarostami/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. He prefers spontaneous interaction with actors, letting their authentic selves shape the performance rather than imposing rehearsed direction. **In simple terms:** He works with actors naturally, not rehearsed. Key Takeaway Embrace authenticity in collaboration. Themes authenticity collaboration acting film improvisation Mood intimate reflective Type process philosophical When to use this quote - theatre rehearsals - independent film sets - workshop sessions - creative meetings Key Concepts cinema directorial style actor‑director relationship Questions to Reflect On - How does spontaneity affect narrative coherence? - Can authenticity replace technical preparation? A Different Perspective May lack structure for complex narratives. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Character](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/character/) [Characters](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/characters/) [Giving](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/giving/) [Rehearsal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rehearsal/) ## Related quotes > [Once a novel gets going and I know it is viable, I don't then worry about plot or themes. These things will come in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chinua-achebe/once-a-novel-gets-going-and-i-know-it-is-viable-i-don-t-then-worry/) [Chinua Achebe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chinua-achebe/) > [I like to rehearse. We did a lot of rehearsals for 'Moneyball,' but it is really individual to the actor. It's not like, 'Here…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bennett-miller/i-like-to-rehearse-we-did-a-lot-of-rehearsals-for-moneyball-but-it-is/) [Bennett Miller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bennett-miller/) > [I have worked with Salman a lot of times and have choreographed him earlier also. He doesn't do rehearsals; he never comes for that.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/remo-d-souza/i-have-worked-with-salman-a-lot-of-times-and-have-choreographed-him/) [Remo D'Souza](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/remo-d-souza/) > [I'm quite the nagger too. I nag at the others when their chatting makes our rehearsals finish later than scheduled.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seohyun/i-m-quite-the-nagger-too-i-nag-at-the-others-when-their-chatting/) [Seohyun](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seohyun/) > [I started out as a duo with Mis-Teeq's Sabrina Washington, and we worked for four or five years before signing a record deal. I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alesha-dixon/i-started-out-as-a-duo-with-mis-teeq-s-sabrina-washington-and-we/) [Alesha Dixon](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alesha-dixon/) > [Sometimes the most excruciating experiences in rehearsals and performances yield the most beautiful work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/roger-rees/sometimes-the-most-excruciating-experiences-in-rehearsals-and/) [Roger Rees](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/roger-rees/) > [Doctor Who is like any long-running series in that the cast tend to look to the star to set the general tone. Rehearsals and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-sutton/doctor-who-is-like-any-long-running-series-in-that-the-cast-tend-to/) [Sarah Sutton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-sutton/) > [Dancing isn't easy, and to just jump into three to four hours of rehearsals a day is a lot.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ian-ziering/dancing-isn-t-easy-and-to-just-jump-into-three-to-four-hours-of/) [Ian Ziering](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ian-ziering/) > [At St. Francis de Sales in Atlanta, we do not have an organ. We do not have rehearsals during the week. We do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/richard-morris/at-st-francis-de-sales-in-atlanta-we-do-not-have-an-organ-we-do-not/) [Richard Morris](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/richard-morris/) > [Two pieces of advice for young composers: Go away during technical rehearsals. And do not have a back operation.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lloyd-webber/two-pieces-of-advice-for-young-composers-go-away-during-technical/) [Andrew Lloyd Webber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lloyd-webber/) > [You've got to be like a fan at your show, just wild out. I make eye contact. I get in the crowd and kick…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/schoolboy-q/you-ve-got-to-be-like-a-fan-at-your-show-just-wild-out-i-make-eye/) [Schoolboy Q](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/schoolboy-q/) > [Rehearsals and screening rooms are often unreliable because they can't provide the chemistry between an audience and what appears on the stage or screen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gene-tierney/rehearsals-and-screening-rooms-are-often-unreliable-because-they-can/) [Gene Tierney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gene-tierney/) > [I think that sometimes in theater, I don't prepare much beyond going to the rehearsals.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-whishaw/i-think-that-sometimes-in-theater-i-don-t-prepare-much-beyond-going/) [Ben Whishaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-whishaw/) > [It's really intense in our rehearsals; you have to get ready and condition your body.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rozonda-thomas/it-s-really-intense-in-our-rehearsals-you-have-to-get-ready-and/) [Rozonda Thomas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rozonda-thomas/) > [There is something about the live performance of an orchestra that makes it very different to a film. With a film, you can rewrite…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gael-garcia-bernal/there-is-something-about-the-live-performance-of-an-orchestra-that/) [Gael Garcia Bernal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gael-garcia-bernal/) ## More by Abbas Kiarostami > [I think violence can never be justified. At the same time, nobody’s culture or beliefs should be insulted, that’s not something I can accept…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbas-kiarostami/i-think-violence-can-never-be-justified-at-the-same-time-nobody-s/) [Abbas Kiarostami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbas-kiarostami/) > [I would say that no film is apolitical. There are politics in all films. Any film that is anchored in a society, any film…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbas-kiarostami/i-would-say-that-no-film-is-apolitical-there-are-politics-in-all/) [Abbas Kiarostami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbas-kiarostami/) > [In real life, when someone's partner calls them, they can tell from the first word their partner says what their mood is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbas-kiarostami/in-real-life-when-someone-s-partner-calls-them-they-can-tell-from-the/) [Abbas Kiarostami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbas-kiarostami/) > [I don't have very complete scripts for my films. I have a general outline and a character in my mind, and I make no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbas-kiarostami/i-don-t-have-very-complete-scripts-for-my-films-i-have-a-general/) [Abbas Kiarostami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbas-kiarostami/) > [This was pointed out to me by somebody who referred to the paintings of Rembrandt and his use of light: some elements are highlighted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbas-kiarostami/this-was-pointed-out-to-me-by-somebody-who-referred-to-the-paintings/) [Abbas Kiarostami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbas-kiarostami/) > [A work of art doesn't exist outside the perception of the audience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbas-kiarostami/a-work-of-art-doesn-t-exist-outside-the-perception-of-the-audience/) [Abbas Kiarostami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbas-kiarostami/) > [I would be too selfish if I said everyone should see my movies more than once. To say that would mean I'm just marketing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbas-kiarostami/i-would-be-too-selfish-if-i-said-everyone-should-see-my-movies-more/) [Abbas Kiarostami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbas-kiarostami/) > [Unfortunately, cinema critics are very few in America, 400-500 people, but there are more critics of Iran.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbas-kiarostami/unfortunately-cinema-critics-are-very-few-in-america-400-500-people/) [Abbas Kiarostami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbas-kiarostami/) > [Usually when I take my films to festivals, I feel incredibly anxious about them. I wonder how it will be received, how the audience…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbas-kiarostami/usually-when-i-take-my-films-to-festivals-i-feel-incredibly-anxious/) [Abbas Kiarostami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbas-kiarostami/) > [My car's my best friend. My office. My home. My location. I have a very intimate sense when I am in a car with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbas-kiarostami/my-car-s-my-best-friend-my-office-my-home-my-location-i-have-a-very/) [Abbas Kiarostami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbas-kiarostami/) > [It was a film that I knew, that I had seen, that I was familiar with, but I wasn't anxious about it at any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbas-kiarostami/it-was-a-film-that-i-knew-that-i-had-seen-that-i-was-familiar-with/) [Abbas Kiarostami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbas-kiarostami/) > [I never intended to write poems, nor to be a photographer, nor to be a film-maker. I just took many, many pictures and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbas-kiarostami/i-never-intended-to-write-poems-nor-to-be-a-photographer-nor-to-be-a/) [Abbas Kiarostami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbas-kiarostami/) > [ When the film \[Certified Copy\] was in the Cannes Festival, I realized that the fact of having it shot in a different culture, in… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbas-kiarostami/when-the-film-certified-copy-was-in-the-cannes-festival-i-realized/) [Abbas Kiarostami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbas-kiarostami/) > [Those same people, when they leave the theater, when they look behind the curtains they are curious about their neighbors, they can guess if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbas-kiarostami/those-same-people-when-they-leave-the-theater-when-they-look-behind/) [Abbas Kiarostami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbas-kiarostami/) > [There is violence in real life but I would never impose violence in a film just to attract the audience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbas-kiarostami/there-is-violence-in-real-life-but-i-would-never-impose-violence-in-a/) [Abbas Kiarostami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbas-kiarostami/) [Explore all 157 Abbas Kiarostami quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbas-kiarostami/) ## More Character quotes > [This may sound strange, but although I feel like I know everything about my characters, the brand of shampoo they use, how many cavities…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gail-honeyman/this-may-sound-strange-but-although-i-feel-like-i-know-everything/) [Gail Honeyman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gail-honeyman/) > [I always like a character who makes me laugh.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rachael-stirling/i-always-like-a-character-who-makes-me-laugh/) [Rachael Stirling](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rachael-stirling/) > [Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-a-heinlein/social-responsibility-above-the-level-of-family-or-at-most-of-tribe/) [Robert A. Heinlein](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-a-heinlein/) > [Reader, if you are gifted with nerves like mine, aspire to any character but that of a wit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-lamb/reader-if-you-are-gifted-with-nerves-like-mine-aspire-to-any/) [Charles Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-lamb/) > [I'm often moved by the circumstances around some of my characters, but I don't think I've actually cried watching myself.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-winslet/i-m-often-moved-by-the-circumstances-around-some-of-my-characters-but/) [Kate Winslet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-winslet/) > [When you're on a daytime drama you get one page, you better damn well know your character. 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But, if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/if-you-are-well-mannered-towards-those-whose-views-are-similar-to/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Democracy is based on the conviction that man has the moral and intellectual capacity, as well as the inalienable right, to govern himself with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/harry-s-truman/democracy-is-based-on-the-conviction-that-man-has-the-moral-and/) [Harry S. 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