Bahman Farmanara

Born in 1942, Bahman Farmanara is a graduate of the London School of Dramatic Arts, and also the University of Southern California, where he studied film directing. He started his career in cinema with shorts and documentaries, and has also made 7 feature films so far. He is considered among the directors and producers of Iranian intellectual cinema both before and after the revolution. His pre-revolution films were regarded as the best social works of the Iranian cinema. The thoroughly professional use of different elements in his genuinely cinematic post-revolution works has brought him a great deal of success, so much so that his critical movie “A house built on water” has been described by cinema officials as a religious work. Two of his post-revolution films have been chosen as the best film of the year in two major national film festivals. In 2008, he was nominated in three categories for the “Familiar Soil” at the Iran Cinema Celebration of the Iranian Alliance of Motion Picture Guilds (House of Cinema), and received the statue for best directing.

As a filmmaker, Bahman Farmanara has delved into the subject of death in three movies. Death in itself is a heavy concern for people, and exploring the subject can be an equally burdensome endeavor. All three films of Farmanara are loaded with critical and philosophical issues. He is a filmmaker who has reached a certain mental maturity and understanding with regards to the place where he lives along people in the society. Farmanara makes the best of the existing situation and circumstances. Unlike others, he does not force mottos and slogans down the audience’s throat, but always touches on a sensitive subject and brings it to the audience. He puts death on the table, makes films about it, and makes it a success.