Reza Naji is an Iranian actor and an iconic figure of Iranian cinema. Naji started his career in theater when he was a teenager. While serving in the Iranian army, he continued to perform in different roles. His first role in a film goes back to 1997 in '' Children of Heaven'', which proved to be a breakthrough. For playing the role of Ali's father, director Majid Majidi was seeking an actor with an Azeri accent, and Naji was carefully selected from a group of 2,500 actors tested for the role. Since then, he has played several roles in Iranian films. Among his most notable performances is his appearance in ''

The Song of Sparrows ''The Song of Sparrows'' (''Âvâz-e gonjeshk-hâ'') ( fa, آواز گنجشک‌ها ) is a 2008 Iranian movie directed by Majid Majidi. It tells the story of Karim, a man who works at an ostrich farm until he is fired because one of the ostrich ...

'', directed by renowned film director Majid Majidi, for which Naji won the Silver Bear at the

Berlin Film Festival The Berlin International Film Festival (german: Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin), usually called the Berlinale (), is a major international film festival held annually in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the festi ...

, and Best Performance by an Actor at the 2008 Asia Pacific Screen Awards.

Filmography

Awards

* 2008: Berlin International Film Festival: Silver Bear for Best Actor: ''

'' Iran’s Naji wins more top accolades of world cinema
Tehran Times, November 13, 2008. * 2008: Best Performance by an Actor at the Asia Pacific Screen Awards.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Naji, Reza Iranian male film actors People from Tabriz Living people 1942 births Silver Bear for Best Actor winners 20th-century Iranian male actors 21st-century Iranian male actors Iranian male stage actors Asia Pacific Screen Award winners