Rakhshan Banietemad
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.
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 theatres 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.
Banietemad started her work by making documentaries and has never ended the strong connection she has always had with her works. Making documentaries have been her main way of connecting with the society and social issues. Her approach and in depicting social issues has been so strong and effective that her works have always resulted in causing change in the lives of her documentaries' characters.
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. Her latest feature film, Tales, was awarded the Best Screenplay prize in the main competition section of 2014 Venice International Film Festival.
More recently, she has joined the Academy Oscar, Writers branch in 2017.
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Angel of the House of Sun
حياط خلوت خانه خورشيد
Directed by Rakhshan Banietemad • 2009 • Iran
In the backstreets of one of the poor districts of Tehran, in a very small house, everyday hundreds of women spend a few hours in the shadows of a safe shelter. Women, whose share in life is only suffering and humiliation. -
See You Tomorrow Elina
فردا میبینمت الینا
Directed by Rakhshan Banietemad • 2011 • Iran
My daughter, Baran's childhood in the 1980s coincided with the Iran-Iraq war and the bombardment of large Iranian cities such as Tehran. Terrifying sleepless nights were followed by the next morning’s involvement in daily life whic... -
All My Trees
همه درختان من
Directed by Rakhshan Banietemad • 2015 • Iran
Mahlagha Mallah is Iran’s eldest environmental activist and the founder of the first environmental NGO in Iran. Spending a few days in her home and accompanying her in environmental gatherings and activities is an excuse to portray the c... -
Hey Humans
آی آدمها
Directed by Rakhshan Banietemad • 2016 • Iran
Through the charity organization, "Chain of Hope", a team of volunteer Iranian and French medical doctors treat underprivileged child patients from all over Iran in three branches of cardiac, orthopedics and rehabilitation to the highest sta... -
A Lifetime in an Hour
یک ساعت از یک عمر
Directed by Rakhshan Banietemad • 2015 • Iran
"Eskandar Firouz," the founder of the Department of Environment is known as Iran's father of the environment. A few-hours-long meeting and conversation by three environmental activists with him is an oral history and a quick look at ... -
Our Times
روزگار ما
Directed by Rakhshan Banietemad • 2001 • Iran
Rakhshan Banietemad decides to capture images of people involved in the presidential elections of 2001 in Iran. She follows some young cinema actors and artists, including her young daughter, who with lots of hopes and desires for future hav... -
We Are Half of Iran's Population
ما نیمی از جمعیت ایرانیم
Directed by Rakhshan Banietemad • 2009 • Iran
The Women Rights Activists of Iran, consisting of a vast spectrum with different points of view, pose their questions to the 10th presidential candidates of Iran, three of which discuss their opinions. Ahmadinejad, the preside... -
Touran Khanom
توران خانم
Directed by Rakhshan Banietemad, Mojtaba Mirtahmasb • 2018 • Iran
Touran Mirhadi (Khomarloo) is the founder of Farhad School, the Children's Book Council, and the Encyclopedia for Young People. She was also actively involved with close to 20 other institutions dealing with child develo...
