Mohammad Rasoulof (Persian: محمد رسولاف; born 16 November 1972) is an Iranian independent filmmaker. He is known for several award-winning films, including his first, The Twilight (2002); Iron Island (2005); Manuscripts Don't Burn (2013) and There Is No Evil (2020).
Mohammad Rasoulof | |
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![]() Poster to free Mohammad Rasoulof (2010) | |
Born | (1972-11-16) 16 November 1972 (age 49)[1] Shiraz, Imperial State of Iran |
Nationality | Iranian |
Occupation | Film director, screenwriter, producer, editor |
Years active | 2001–present |
Known for | A Man of Integrity Goodbye There Is No Evil |
Spouse | Rozita Hendijanian[2] |
Children | 1 |
Awards | Golden Orange Award for Best Director (2018) Golden Bear (2020) |
He has been arrested several times and had his passport confiscated, as the nature and content of his films has brought him into conflict with the Iranian Government.
Mohammad Rasoulof was born on 16 November 1972 in Shiraz, Iran.[3]
He has graduated with bachelors' degree of sociology from Shiraz University, and he has studied Film Editing at Soore University, Tehran.[4]
His first feature-length film, The Twilight (Gagooman), was released in 2002 and was awarded with the Crystal Simorgh for the Best First Film at the Fajr Film Festival in Tehran.[5] His second feature, Iron Island (Jazire-ye ahani), was released in 2005. His feature The White Meadows (Keshtzarha-ye sepid) was released in 2009.[citation needed]
Goodbye (Be omid-e didar) premiered at the 2011 Cannes Film Festival in the section Un Certain Regard and won the prize for directing.[6] His film Manuscripts Don't Burn was also screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival[7] where it won the FIPRESCI Prize.[8] A Man of Integrity won the top prize in the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival in 2017.[citation needed]
There Is No Evil was awarded the Golden Bear in the main competition section at the 70th Berlin International Film Festival in 2020,[9] and the Sydney Film Prize in 2021.[10]
In 2010, Rasoulof was arrested onset and accused of filming without a permit. He was sentenced to six years in prison, later reduced to one year.[11]
In September 2017 his passport was confiscated upon his return to Iran, meaning he became mamnu'-ol-xoruğ (Persian: ممنوعالخروج), i.e. banned from leaving the country. Furthermore, he was ordered to attend a court hearing.[12]
On 23 July 2019, Rasoulof was convicted by the Islamic Revolutionary Court of Iran to one-year imprisonment and a two-year ban on leaving the country and on participation in social and political activity because of his film A Man of Integrity. He is accused of "gathering and collusion against national security and of propaganda against the system". In August 2019 Rasoulof appealed the verdict. On his way to the court, in an act of professional solidarity, he and his lawyer were accompanied by some of the most renowned Iranian filmmakers, including Kianoush Ayyari, Majid Barzegar, Reza Dormishian, Asghar Farhadi, Bahman Farmanara, Rakhshān Banietemad, Fatemeh Motamed-Arya, Jafar Panahi, and Hasan Pourshirazi.[13]
On 4 March 2020, Rasoulof was sentenced to one year in prison for three of his movies, which were considered "propaganda against the system". The verdict also included a ban on making films for two years. He has stated that he intends to appeal the decision and will not turn himself in, considering the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, which had already led Iran to release 54,000 prisoners temporarily in order to prevent the virus from spreading.[14]
Year | English Title (Original Title) | Credited as | Notes | ||
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Director | Writer | Producer | |||
2002 | The Twilight (Gagooman) | Yes | Yes | No | Docu-Fiction |
2005 | Iron Island (Jazireh ahani) | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
2008 | Head Wind (Baad e daboor) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Documentary |
2009 | The White Meadows (Keshtzar haye sepid) | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
2010 | Gesher | No | No | Yes | |
2011 | Goodbye (Be omid e didar) | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
2013 | Manuscripts Don't Burn (Dast-neveshtehaa nemisoosand) | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
2017 | A Man of Integrity (Lerd) | Yes | Yes | Yes | |
2019 | The Red Hatchback (Hatchback Ghermez) | No | Yes | Yes | Co-written with Ashkan Najafi
Co-produced with Kaveh Farnam, Farzad Pak, Rozita Hendijanian |
2019 | Son-Mother (Pesar-Madar) | No | Yes | Yes | Co-produced with Kaveh Farnam, Farzad Pak |
2020 | There is No Evil (Sheytan vojud nadarad) | Yes | Yes | Yes | Co-produced with Kaveh Farnam, Farzad Pak |
Award | Year[lower-alpha 1] | Work | Category | Result | Ref. |
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Adelaide Film Festival | 2017 | International Feature Award - Best Feature | Nominated | [15] | |
Amiens International Film Festival | 2011 | — | Golden Unicorn for Career Achievement | Won | [16] |
Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival | 2011 | Youth Jury Award | Won | [17] | |
SIYAD (Cinema Writer's Foundation) Jury Award | Won | ||||
2017 | Best Diretor | Won | [18] | ||
Asia Pacific Screen Awards | 2011 | Best Film | Nominated | [19] | |
Achievement in Directing | Nominated | [19] | |||
2017 | Best Film | Nominated | [20] | ||
Avanca Film Festival | 2007 | Cinema Prize - Feature Film | Won | [21] | |
Script Prize | Won | [21] | |||
Berlin International Film Festival | 2020 | Golden Bear for Best Film | Won | [22] | |
Prize of the Ecumenical Jury | Won | [23] | |||
Guild Film Prize | Won | [24] | |||
Cannes Film Festival | 2011 | Un Certain Regard - Directing Prize | Won | [25] | |
Un Certain Regard Award | Nominated | ||||
François Chalais Award - Special Mention | Won | ||||
2013 | Un Certain Regard Award | Nominated | |||
FIPRESCI Prize - Un Certain Regard | Won | ||||
2017 | Un Certain Regard Award | Won | [26] | ||
Chicago International Film Festival | 2011 | Gold Hugo for Best International Feature | Nominated | ||
2017 | Gold Hugo for Best Feature | Nominated | |||
Silver Hugo for Best Screenplay | Won | ||||
chlotrudis awards | 2007 | Buried Treasure | Won | ||
Crested Butte Film Festival | 2020 | Courage in Filmmaking | Won | ||
Denver International Film Festival | 2010 | Krzysztof Kieslowski Award - Best Film | Won | ||
Dubai International Film Festival | 2009 | Muhr AsiaAfrica Special Jury Prize - Feature | Won | ||
Muhr AsiaAfrica Award - Best Feature | Nominated | ||||
2011 | Muhr AsiaAfrica Award - Best Feature | Nominated | |||
Durban International Film Festival | 2010 | Best Feature Film | Won | ||
2012 | Special Mention - Feature Film | Won | |||
Fajr International Film Festival | 2003 | Crystal Simorgh for Best First Film | Won | ||
Fribourg International Film Festival | 2014 | Don Quijote Award - Special Mention | Won | ||
Grand Prix | Nominated | ||||
Ghent International Film Festival | 2017 | Grand Prix - Best Film | Nominated | ||
Gijón International Film Festival | 2005 | Special Jury Award | Won | ||
Grand Prix Asturias - Best Film | Nominated | ||||
Golden Apricot Yerevan International Film Festival | 2017 | FIPRESCI Prize | Won | ||
Hamburg Film Festival | 2005 | Critics Award | Won | ||
2013 | Political Film Award | Won | |||
2017 | Critics Award | Nominated | |||
Hong Kong International Film Festival | 2012 | SIGNIS Award | Nominated | ||
International Film Festival of India | 2005 | Golden Peacock - Best Film | Won | ||
2017 | Golden Peacock - Best Film | Nominated | |||
Iran Cinema Celebration | 2002 | Best Documentary | Won | ||
Jerusalem Film Festival | 2017 | The Wilf Family Foundation Award - Honorable Mention | Won | ||
The Wilf Family Foundation Award - Best International Film | Nominated | ||||
Lisbon & Estoril Film Festival | 2017 | Jaeger - LeCoultre Best Film Award | Nominated | ||
Milwaukee Film Festival | 2012 | Festival Prize - Best Director | Won | ||
Festival Prize - Best Film | Nominated | ||||
Montréal Festival of New Cinema | 2005 | Special Mention | Won | ||
Screenplay Award - Best Script | Won | ||||
Nuremberg International Human Rights Film Festival | 2013 | — | Lifetime Achievement Award | Won | |
Rotterdam International Film Festival | 2012 | Dioraphte Award | Won | ||
San Sebastián International Film Festival | 2009 | Golden Shell for Best Film | Nominated | ||
Sydney Film Festival | 2021 | Sydney Film Prize | Won | ||
Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival | 2005 | Grand Prize | Nominated | ||
Telluride Film Festival | 2013 | — | Silver Medallion Award | Won | |
Tokyo FILMeX | 2011 | Grand Prize | Nominated | ||
Tribeca Film Festival | 2010 | Jury Award - Best Narrative Feature | Nominated | ||
Valladolid International Film Festival | 2018 | — | Honorary Spike | Won |
Films directed by Mohammad Rasoulof | |
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Golden Orange Award for Best Director | |
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General | |
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National libraries | |
Biographical dictionaries | |
Other |
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