DIRECTOR’S BIOGRAPHY
Rakhshan Banietemad, born in 1954 Tehran, began to make documentaries for the Iranian National Television in 1979, right after graduating from the University of Dramatic Arts, Tehran. From 1979 to 1987, she focused on making only documentaries. In 1987, she directed her first feature film “Off the Limits”. In 1991, she became the first woman recipient of the Best Director award for “Nargess” at Fajr International Film Festival in Iran. In 1995, she won the Bronze Leopard for The Blue Veiled at the Locarno Film Festival. “Under the Skin of the City”, her next film, was the highest grossing film in Iran in 2000. This film along with “Gilaneh” (2005) and “Mainline” (2006), garnered major awards in more than 50 film festivals. Also “Tales” won the Best Screenplay award in the main competition of Venice International Film Festival in 2014.
While Banietemad’s feature films have been acclaimed and honored worldwide, her documentaries have also been successful and popular internationally. “Our Times…”, was the first documentary ever to be released in the movie theaters in Iran in 2002. It was also screened in highly prestigious and prominent festivals and TV channels such as IDFA, Sundance Film Festival and ARTE.
From 2013 to 2017, she mentored six documentaries, which were well received by the public and contributed to a positive perception of the genre.
In 2008, she received an honorary doctorate from University of London, in 2010, she was awarded the Prix Henri Langlois from Vincennes International Film Festival.
She has joined the Academy Oscar, Writers branch in 2017.
FILMOGRAPHY
| Narratives ad hominem | Short Film | - | 2020 |
| Touran Khanom | Documentary | - | 2018 |
| Hey, Humans | Documentary | - | 2016 |
| All My Trees | Documentary | - | 2015 |
| One Hour in a Lifetime | Documentary | - | 2015 |
| “Tales”(Ghesseh ha) | Features | - | 2014 |
| Mahak My Home | Documentary | - | 2014 |
| The Concert of the Lords of Secrets | Documentary | - | 2014 |
| The Mirrors Recital | Documentary | - | 2014 |
| The Other Side of Mirrors | Documentary | - | 2014 |
| The Room No. 202 | Documentary | - | 2012 |
| See You Tomorrow Elina | Documentary | - | 2010 |
| Angels of the House of Sun | Documentary | - | 2009 |
| We Are Half of Iran's Population | Documentary | - | 2009 |
| Heiran | Feature | - | 2009 |
| Second Home | Documentary | - | 2008 |
| 3D Carpet | Documentary | - | 2007 |
| Persian Carpet | Documentary | - | 2007 |
| “Mainline” (Khun bazi) | Features | - | 2006 |
| “Gilaneh” (Gilaneh), | Features | - | 2005 |
| Our Times… | Documentary | - | 2002 |
| “Under the Skin of the City” (Zir-e pust-e shahr) | Features | - | 2000 |
| “Baran and the Native” (part of the feature film “Kish”) | Features | - | 1998 |
| “The May Lady” (Banu-ye ordibehesht) | Features | - | 1997 |
| Under the Skin of the City | Documentary | - | 1996 |
| The Last Visit with Iran Daftari | Documentary | - | 1995 |
| The Blue Veiled | Features | - | 1994 |
| To Whom Do You Show These Films? | Documentary | - | 1993 |
| Spring to Spring | Documentary | - | 1993 |
| The 1992 Report | Documentary | - | 1993 |
| Nargess | Features | - | 1991 |
| Foreign Currency | Features | - | 1989 |
| Canary Yellow | Features | - | 1988 |
| Off the Limits | Features | - | 1987 |
| Centralization | Documentary | - | 1986 |
| The War Economic Planning | Documentary | - | 1981 |
| Occupation of Migrant Peasants in the City | Documentary | - | 1980 |
| The Culture of Consumption | Documentary | - | 1979 |