Quote of the Day by Abbas Kiarostami: ‘A tree doesn't feel a duty to start doing something about the earth from which it comes; a tree just has to…’

Before the world rushes to explain itself, there is value in simply observing lives without spectacle that are easy to notice and question. But some of us don’t chase answers; they watch questions breathe. Abbas Kiarostami belonged to that rare kind. A filmmaker who treated life as a presence to sit with, not as a problem to solve. Across villages, winding roads, classrooms, cars, and quiet landscapes, his cinema lingered on ordinary moments and found something universal within them.

From ‘Where Is the Friend’s Home?’ to ‘Taste of Cherry,’ Kiarostami’s work reflected a belief that meaning does not need to be forced; it reveals itself when allowed to grow naturally.

Today’s quote by Abbas Kiarostami: ‘I feel like a tree. A tree doesn't feel a duty to start doing something about the earth from which it comes. A tree just has to bear fruit, and leaves and blossoms. It doesn't feel grateful to the earth.’


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Meaning of the quote

Abbas Kiarostami uses the image of a tree to express a philosophy of living and creating without pressure or obligation. When he says a tree does not feel a duty toward the earth it comes from, he suggests that one should not act out of guilt, repayment, or imposed responsibility. Just as a tree naturally grows leaves, blossoms, and fruit, human expression, whether art, work, or kindness, should arise organically from one’s nature rather than from external expectations.

The tree does not feel grateful; with this, Kiarostami may not be rejecting gratitude itself but pointing out the idea that gratitude must be consciously performed. The tree’s growth is its response; its existence is enough. In the same way, he implies that simply living authentically and creating honestly is a sufficient contribution to the world, without the need to constantly justify or explain one’s purpose.

About Abbas Kiarostami

Abbas Kiarostami (1940–2016) was one of the most influential Iranian filmmakers to emerge after the country’s 1979 revolution, celebrated worldwide for his quiet, humanist approach to cinema. His work, admired by filmmakers such as Akira Kurosawa, blended simplicity with deep philosophical inquiry, often blurring the line between fiction and documentary to reflect life as it is.

Trained in painting and graphic design, Kiarostami brought a minimalist visual sensibility to filmmaking, focusing on everyday moments to explore themes of existence, isolation, and human connection. His films are marked by restraint, long takes, and an observational style that allows meaning to emerge naturally rather than being imposed.