Cinema in Iran, particularly after the Islamic Revolution, has been a site of varied efforts by artists, especially filmmakers, to articulate Iranian identity and worldview. More specifically, the cinema of Abbas Kiarostami, one of the most internationally recognized Iranian directors, displays distinctive formal characteristics. Examining the relationship between his films and foundational Iranian visual art traditions such as Persian miniature painting, which is deeply rooted in Iranian modes of perception and worldview, can therefore be analytically productive. Accordingly, the main research question of this study is whether Kiarostami’s films can be considered instances of a visual translation of the underlying strategies of Persian miniature painting, particularly in terms of cinematic framing and mise-en-scène. Although the study refers to certain formal similarities between the two media, its concern extends beyond surface-level resemblances. This is because painting and cinema, despite their visual affinities, differ in fundamental ways, with temporality constituting one of the most significant distinctions. For this reason, the study adopts Gilles Deleuze’s cinematic theory concerning the relationship between cinema, time, and action as its analytical approach, alongside the essential characteristics of Persian miniature painting. Within this framework, three films by Abbas Kiarostami are selected and analyzed as case studies. The findings indicate that several features of Kiarostami’s cinema demonstrate a deep relationship with key characteristics of Persian miniature painting, including the rejection of a single fixed point of view, top–bottom spatial organization, the simultaneity of visual layers, and the avoidance of meaning constructed through action. This qualitative study employs description.