Rakhshān Banietemad (; born April 3, 1954, in

Tehran Tehran (; , ''Tehrân'') is the capital and largest city of Iran. It is the capital of Tehran province, and the administrative center for Tehran County and its Central District (Tehran County), Central District. With a population of around 9. ...

Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran (IRI) and also known as Persia, is a country in West Asia. It borders Iraq to the west, Turkey, Azerbaijan, and Armenia to the northwest, the Caspian Sea to the north, Turkmenistan to the nort ...

) is an Iranian film director and

screenwriter A screenwriter (also called scriptwriter, scribe, or scenarist) is a person who practices the craft of writing for visual mass media, known as screenwriting. These can include short films, feature-length films, television programs, television ...

. She is often referred to as the "First Lady of Iranian Cinema" due to her prominent role in the country's film industry and her ability to merge political themes with personal and family narratives in her work. Banietemad is known for exploring societal issues through characters, who often represent various segments of Iranian society. Her films often address a wide range of issues such as: the evolving roles of

women A woman is an adult female human. Before adulthood, a female child or adolescent is referred to as a girl. Typically, women are of the female sex and inherit a pair of X chromosomes, one from each parent, and women with functional u ...

poverty Poverty is a state or condition in which an individual lacks the financial resources and essentials for a basic standard of living. Poverty can have diverse Biophysical environmen ...

war War is an armed conflict between the armed forces of states, or between governmental forces and armed groups that are organized under a certain command structure and have the capacity to sustain military operations, or between such organi ...

domestic abuse Domestic violence is violence that occurs in a domestic setting, such as in a marriage or cohabitation. In a broader sense, abuse including nonphysical abuse in such settings is called domestic abuse. The term "domestic violence" is often use ...

social mobility Social mobility is the movement of individuals, families, households or other categories of people within or between social strata in a society. It is a change in social status relative to one's current social location within a given socie ...

, and balancing a portrayal of harsh realities with a sense of hope for change. Banietemad's films frequently focus on women, with characters such as ''Tooba'' ( Golab Adineh), ''Nobar'' ( Fatemah Motamed-Aria), and ''Sara'' ( Baran Kosari) representing different facets of women's experiences in Iran. These characters are often revisited and reinterpreted over time, reflecting the changes in Iranian society and culture. Her 2002 film ''OurTimes'' (Ruz-egar-e ma) became the first documentary to be released in theaters in Iran.

Early life and education

Rakhshan Banietemad was born in Tehran, Iran, on April 3, 1954, into a middle-class family. Although her parents encouraged her to pursue a career in teaching, she demonstrated an interest in film from a young age. As a teenager, she decided to study film, and earned a Bachelor of Arts in film studies from the Dramatic Arts University in Tehran."Rakhshan BaniEtemad."
Firouzan Films. 2011. 3 May 2012 Initially, Banietemad had planned to study architecture. Just before entering university, she took an exam for an intensive stage assistance course by the School of Television and Cinema, and was one of the 20 students accepted. She studied both architecture and stage assistance, but the following year, she took the national exam for the faculty of dramatic arts and chose to focus on film directing.

Career

1970s and 1980s

In 1973, after completing her degree, Banietemad began working as a script supervisor for the Iranian television network

IRIB The Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting (IRIB; ) or Seda va Sima () for short, formerly called National Iranian Radio and Television until the Iranian revolution of 1979, is an Iranian state-controlled media corporation that holds a monopo ...

(Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting). Later, in 1980, she directed television documentary features. Her films are steeped in Iran's social and economic context.Alissa Simon
"Interview with Rakhshan Banietemad."
''Facets.'' 3 May 2012. In 1981, Banietemad began working in cinema as a script supervisor on films such as ''The Liegemen'' and ''Chrysanthemum''. She directed her first feature film ''Off the Limits'' in 1987. She followed this up ''Canary Yellow'' in 1988.

1990s and 2000s

She earned critical and popular acclaim in 1991 with '' Nargess''. She received the ''Best Director'' Award from the

Fajr Film Festival Iran's annual Fajr International Film Festival (), or Fajr Film Festival (little: FIFF; ), has been held every February in Tehran since 1983. The festival is supervised by the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance (Iran), Ministry of Culture ...

, marking the first time in the history of the festival that a woman was awarded this prize. Since then, she has received numerous awards for her films, including a Bronze Leopard Award for ''

The Blue-Veiled ''The'' is a grammatical article in English, denoting nouns that are already or about to be mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The' ...

'' at the 1995

Locarno Film Festival The Locarno International Film Festival is a major international film festival, held annually in Locarno, Switzerland. Founded in 1946, the festival screens films in various competitive and non-competitive sections, including feature-length narr ...

and, in 2001, won the Best Foreign Language Film Award and the Audience Award at the 2001

Turin Film Festival The Torino Film Festival (also called the Turin Film Festival, TFF) is an international film festival held annually in Turin, Italy. Held every November, it is the second largest film festival in Italy, following the Venice Film Festival. It was f ...

for '' Under the Skin of the City'' (2001). With her 2002 documentary film ''Our Times'', Banietemad became the first female filmmaker to explicitly confront the Iran-Iraq war, placing her in an important role in Iranian film history. This was also the first documentary ever to be shown in Iranian movie theaters and was also shown in prominent film festivals such as IDFA and Sundance Film Festival. The film was also broadcast on the Franco-German network ARTE. She is considered a political film maker whose films to walk right up to the line of what Iranian censorship codes allow.Whatley, Sheri
"Iranian Women Film Directors: A Clever Activism."
''Off Our Backs'' 27.1 (2003): 30-32. JSTOR. McHenry Lib., Santa Cruz, CA. 2 May 2012. Her 2004 film, '' Gilaneh'', considered an anti-war film, was nominated for three Crystal Simorghs at the

and won for best make-up and a special jury prize. Fatemeh Motamedaria, who starred in ''Gilaneh'', won best actress.

2010s to Present

Banietemad continued to direct films during the early 2010s, including ''Mainline and Tales''. In ''Tales'' (2014), Banietemad intertwines seven stories, where notable female characters from her past films reappear, reinforcing the historical and cultural relevance of her work and her impact on the portrayal of women in Iranian cinema. ''Tales'' was selected to compete for the

Golden Lion The Golden Lion () is the highest prize given to a film at the Venice Film Festival. The prize was introduced in 1949 by the organizing committee and is regarded as one of the film industry's most prestigious and distinguished prizes. In 1970, a ...

at the

71st Venice International Film Festival The 71st annual Venice International Film Festival , was held from 27 August to 6 September 2014, at Venice Lido in Italy. French composer Alexandre Desplat was the jury president for the main competition. Italian actress Luisa Ranieri hoste ...

. She also continued making documentaries, and has collaborated with young filmmakers in ''Hey, Humans'' (2016), and ''The Karastan'' film series (2013-2017).

Style

Banietemad’s unique style blends documentary techniques with fictional filmmaking. Her films frequently examine the hardships faced by Iran’s lower classes, single women, single mothers, and complex family dynamics. Often, her characters directly address the camera, contrasting with typical documentary conventions. Her films also explore the complex relationships between mothers and their children, a theme rooted in her own experience as a mother in Iran. This focus reflects the societal expectations of Iranian women, who often find it difficult to separate their personal lives from their maternal roles within the country’s patriarchal structure. Banietemad has mentioned that her feature films are often inspired by people she saw during her documentary film-making. For example, the story of Nargess comes from a documentary about homeless women, the character of Touba in '' Under the Skin of the City'' (2001) came about from a documentary on working women, and the character of "Kabootar" in the movie ''

The Blue Veiled The Blue Veiled () is a 1995 Iranian romance-drama film written and directed by Rakhshān Banietemad. Plot Rasoul Rahmani ( Ezzatolah Entezami) owns a tomato farm and a factory next to it. He has lost his wife a few years ago and lives alone. ...

'' (1995) was inspired by a harsh woman called "Mr. Ghodrat" (Ghodrat means a power which is a male name). Banietemad is known for her interest in strong female characters and she views Iranian women as central to the countries future and often highlights their strength and resilience. Although her work prominently features strong female protagonists, Banietemad rejects being labeled a feminist filmmaker. She has expressed her discomfort with the term, particularly in the Iranian context, where "feminist" carries negative connotations. Instead, she focuses on the broader struggles of society’s lower classes, regardless of gender, and prefers not to be categorized under any specific label.Laurier, Joanne. Walsh, David
"An Interview with Rakhshan Banietemad, co-director of ''Gilaneh.''"
World Socialist website. 3 Oct. 2005. International Committee of the Fourth International. 4 May 2012.

Legacy

She was awarded an honorary degree from

SOAS The School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS University of London; ) is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the federal University of London. Founded in 1916, SOAS is located in the Bloomsbury area ...

in 2008.

Personal life

She is married to Iranian film producer Jahangir Kosari. Their daughter, Baran Kosari, is an Iranian film actress. Kosari began acting at a young age and is now a professional actress. She has appeared in her mother's films, as well as those of other Iranian filmmakers.

Humanitarian actions

Banietemad donated her international prize for the movie '' Ghesseh-ha'' to build a shelter for homeless women. She also donated some of her awards to help disadvantaged women.

Filmography

Feature films

Documentaries

* Karestan Documentary films (artistic consultant), 2013–17: ** ''Poets of Life'' ** ''Puzzleys'' ** ''Mother of the Earth'' ** ''MAHAK: A World She Founded'' ** ''Friends at Work'' ** ''Flax to Fire'' * ''Hey, Humans'' (Ay, Adamha), 2016 * ''One Hour in a Lifetime'' (Yek saat az yek omr), 2015 * ''All My Trees'' (Hameh derakhtan-e man), 2015 which exmained the work of

Mahlagha Mallah Mahlagha Mallah (‎; 21 September 1917 – 8 November 2021) was an Iranian environmental activist and librarian, who founded the Women's Society Against Environmental Pollution. She was referred to as the "Mother of Iran's Environment". Ear ...

* ''The Other Side of Mirrors'' (An sooy-e ayeneh ha), 2014 * ''The Mirrors Recital'' (Concert-e ayeneh ha), 2014 * ''The Concert of the Lords of Secrets'' (concert-e khodavandan-e asrar), 2014 * ''Mahak My Home'' (Khaneh man Mahak), a teamwork, 2014 * ''Keep Children in School'' (Bacheh ha ra dar madreseh negahdarim), a teamwork, 2012 * ''The Room No. 202'' (Otahgh-e 202), part of ''Kahrizak 4 Views'', 2012 * ''I’ll see you Tomorrow Elina'' (Farda mibinamet Elina), 2010 * ''We Are Half of Iran's Population'' (Ma nimi az jameiat-e Iranim), 2009 * ''Angels of the House of Sun'' (Hayat khalvate khaneh khorshid), 2009 * '' Second Home'' (producer), Director: Mahvash Sheikholeslami, 2008 * ''3D Carpet'' (Farsh-e 3 Bodi), Part of "Iranian Carpet", 2007 * ''Our Times…'' (Ruzegar-e ma…), 2002 * ''The Last Visit with Iran Daftari'' (Akharin didar ba Iran Daftari), 1995 * ''To Whom Do You Show These Films?'' (In filmha ra beh ki neshun midin?), 1993 * ''Spring to Spring'' (Bahar ta bahar), 1993 * ''The 1992 Report'' (Gozaresh-e 71), 1993 * ''

Centralization Centralisation or centralization (American English) is the process by which the activities of an organisation, particularly those regarding planning, decision-making, and framing strategies and policies, become concentrated within a particular ...

'' (Tamarkoz), 1986 * ''The War Economic Planning'' (Tadbirha-ye eqtesadi-e jang), 1981 * ''Occupation of Migrant Peasants in the City'' (Mohajerin-e roustai dar shahr),1980 * ''The Culture of Consumption'' (Farhang-e masrafi), 1979

Honors and awards

* Honorary Golden Cyclo, 23rd

Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinema The Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinema () is an annual special-interest film festival focusing on the cinemas of Asia. The festival is held annually in Vesoul, France. It was created in 1995 by Martine and Jean-Marc Thérouanne who ...

(France), 2017 * Ethics and Prayer Award for social and civilian activities (Iran), 2016 * Cinema Honorary Award, 4th International Women Film Festival (Afghanistan), 2016 * Cinema Honorary Award, 6th International Crime & Punishment Film Festival (Turkey), 2016 * Special Jury Prize, ''Kahrizak 4 views'',

Dubai International Film Festival The Dubai International Film Festival (DIFF, ) was the largest film festival in the Arab world, Arab region. With particular emphasis on showcasing Arab cinema, Arab, Asian cinema, Asian, and African cinema, it also helped to develop industry a ...

(UAE), 2012 * Prix Henri Langlois, Vincennes International Film Festival (France), 2010 * Special Jury Prize, ''We Are Half of Iran's Population'', (WIFTS) (USA), 2009 * Achievement in Directing, ''Mainline'',

Asia Pacific Screen Awards The Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA) is an international cultural initiative overseen by the Asia Pacific Screen Academy and headquartered in Australia, sometimes called "Asia-Pacific Oscars". In order to realise UNESCO's goals of promoting a ...

(Australia), 2007 * Best Director & Best Actress, ''Mainline'', Iran Cinema House Awards (Iran), 2007 * Artistic & Cultural Achievement Award, Kara International Film Festival (Pakistan), 2004 * Prince Claus Prize for Culture and Development (The Netherlands), 1998 * "Il Sindaco di Firenze” Peace and Freedom Award (Italy), 1998 * Best Asian Woman Director, ''The Blue Veiled'', India International Film Festival (India), 1996 * Best Film, ''Off the Limits'', Comedy International Film Festival (Italy), 1987 * The Prince Claus Award, 1998 *Honorary doctorate,

University of London The University of London (UoL; abbreviated as Lond or more rarely Londin in Post-nominal letters, post-nominals) is a collegiate university, federal Public university, public research university located in London, England, United Kingdom. The ...

(2008) *Chairperson International jury, at

52nd International Film Festival of India The 52nd International Film Festival of India opened on 20 November 2021 with ''The King of All the World'' (''El Rey de Todo El Mundo'') by Carlos Saura in Goa. Like the 51st edition, this edition was held in a hybrid format which combined onl ...

, Goa 2021.

Professional distinctions

* Jury Member,

Venice International Film Festival The Venice Film Festival or Venice International Film Festival (, "International Exhibition of Cinematographic Art of the Venice Biennale") is an annual film festival held in Venice, Italy. It is the world's oldest film festival and one of the ...

(Italy), 2017 * Academy Oscars Member, Writers Branch, 2017 * President of the jury, Vesoul Film Festival (France), 2017 * President of the jury, Prague Iranian Film Festival (Czech), 2017 * President of the jury, Image Film Festival (Iran), 2016 * President of the jury, Cinema Verite International Film Festival (Iran), 2013 * President of the jury,

Busan International Film Festival The Busan International Film Festival (BIFF; ), formerly the Pusan International Film Festival (PIFF), held annually in Haeundae District, Busan, South Korea, is one of the most significant film festivals in Asia. The first festival, held fro ...

(South Korea), 2013 * Master Class,

California Institute of the Arts The California Institute of the Arts (CalArts) is a Private university, private art school in Santa Clarita, California. It was incorporated in 1961 as the first degree-granting institution of higher learning in the US created specifically for ...

(USA), 2013 * Jury Member,

Shanghai International Film Festival The Shanghai International Film Festival (SIFF, , French: ''Festival international du film de Shanghai'') is the largest film festival in Asia and China's longest-running international cinema event. The first festival was established in Octobe ...

(China), 2012 * Jury Member,

(UAE), 2010 * Jury Member, Asiatic Film Mediale Festival (Italy), 2010 * Master Class, Walker Art Center, Minneapolis (USA), 2010 * Jury Member,

Fribourg International Film Festival The Fribourg International Film Festival (FIFF) is an annual film festival in Fribourg, Switzerland. It is focused on selected films from Asia, Africa and Latin America. The Grand Prize is the main award of the Fribourg International Film Festival. ...

(Switzerland), 2010 * Jury Member, Urban International Film Festival (Iran), 2009 * Producer, Heiran, feature-film (Iran), 2009 * Producer, Second House, documentary (Iran), 2008 * Honorary Doctorate, University of London (Iran), 2008 * Master Class,

School of Oriental and African Studies The School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS University of London; ) is a public research university in London, England, and a member institution of the federal University of London. Founded in 1916, SOAS is located in the Bloomsbury area ...

(England), 2008 * Master Class, Geneva University of Art & Design (ESBA), 2008 * Jury Member, Cinema Verite International Film Festival (Iran), 2007 * Jury Member, Women's Film Festival (Iran), 2006 * Jury Member, Asian Cinema,

Fajr International Film Festival Iran's annual Fajr International Film Festival (), or Fajr Film Festival (little: FIFF; ), has been held every February in Tehran since 1983. The festival is supervised by the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance. It takes place on the anni ...

(Iran), 2006 * Jury Member, Art University Student Festival (Iran), 2005 * Director, Sony Young Directors Film Festival (Iran), 2003 * Jury Member, Asia Pacific Film Festival (Iran), 2003 * Jury Member, Sony Young Directors Film Festival (Iran), 2002 * Jury Member,

Moscow International Film Festival The Moscow International Film Festival (, Transliteration, translit. ''Moskóvskiy myezhdunaródniy kinofyestivál''; abbreviated as MIFF) is a film festival first held in Moscow in 1935 and became regular since 1959. From its inception to ...

( Russia), 2002 * Jury Member,

Cairo International Film Festival The Cairo International Film Festival is an annual internationally accredited film festival held in Cairo Opera House. It was established in 1976 and has taken place every year since its inception, except for 2011 and 2013, when it was cancelled ...

(Egypt), 2002 * Jury Member,

(Iran), 2001 * Jury Member,

Montreal World Film Festival The Montreal World Film Festival (), commonly abbreviated MWFF in English or FFM in French, was an annual film festival in Montreal, Quebec, Canada from 1977 to 2019.Leipzig International Film Festival (Germany), 1999 * Jury Member, Tokyo Environmental International Film Festival (Japan), 1998 * Jury Member, New Delhi International Film Festival (India), 1998 * Jury Member, Student Film Festival (Iran), 1997 * Jury Member,

Locarno International Film Festival The Locarno International Film Festival is a major international film festival, held annually in Locarno, Switzerland. Founded in 1946, the festival screens films in various competitive and non-competitive sections, including feature-length narr ...

(Swiss), 1996 * Jury Member, Turin International Film Festival (Italy), 1995 * Jury Member, Center for Iranian Film Directors (Iran), 1993 * Jury Member, Roshd Film Festival (Iran), 1992 * Jury Member,

(Iran), 1990

References

External links

*
"The Cinema and Rakhshan Banietemad"
April 19, 2008, Centre for Media and Film Studies,

, University of London.
Bidisha, ''What will British audiences make of a great Iranian auteur?''
''The Guardian'', April 23, 2008
"Honorary Doctorate of University of London for Rakhshan Banietemad"
in Persian, BBC Persian, Wednesday July 23, 2008. * ''We are half of the Iranian population'' (), a non-partisan documentary by Banietemad in which women ask questions of the 2009 Iranian presidential candidates, in Persian, 7 June 2009
Part 1Part 2Part 3Part 4Part 5

Note: The text in the opening part of this documentary grants permission for non-profit public viewing. {{DEFAULTSORT:Banietemad, Rakhshan Iranian women film directors Iranian screenwriters Persian-language film directors Writers from Tehran 1954 births Members of the National Council for Peace Crystal Simorgh for Best Director winners Crystal Simorgh for Best Screenplay winners Asia Pacific Screen Award winners Living people