Mohammad Rasoulof

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Mohammad Rasoulof
محمد رسول‌اف
Rasoulof in 2010
Born (1972-11-16) November 16, 1972 (age 51)
Shiraz, Imperial State of Iran
NationalityIranian
Occupations
  • director
  • producer
  • screenwriter
  • editor
Years active2001–present
SpouseRozita Hendijanian[1]
Children1

Mohammad Rasoulof (Persian: محمد رسول‌اف; born November 16, 1972) is an Iranian independent filmmaker. He is known for several award-winning films, including The Twilight (2002), Iron Island (2005), Goodbye (2011), Manuscripts Don't Burn (2013), A Man of Integrity (2017) and There Is No Evil (2020). He won the Golden Bear at the 2020 Berlin Film Festival for There Is No Evil.

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.

Early life and education

Mohammad Rasoulof was born on 16 November 1972 in Shiraz, Iran.[2]

He has graduated with a bachelor's degree in sociology from Shiraz University, and he has studied film editing at Soore University, Tehran.[3]

Career

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.[4] 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.[5] His film Manuscripts Don't Burn was also screened in the Un Certain Regard section at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival[6] where it won the FIPRESCI Prize.[7] 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,[8] and the Sydney Film Prize in 2021.[9]

Legal problems

In 2010, Rasoulof was arrested on set and accused of filming without a permit. He was sentenced to six years in prison, later reduced to one year.[10]

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.[11]

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.[12]

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.[13]

Filmography

Year English Title (Original Title) Credited as Notes
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

Awards and nominations

Award Year[a] Work Category Result Ref.
Adelaide Film Festival 2017 International Feature Award - Best Feature Nominated [14]
Amiens International Film Festival 2011 Golden Unicorn for Career Achievement Won [15]
Antalya Golden Orange Film Festival 2011 Youth Jury Award Won [16]
SIYAD (Cinema Writer's Foundation) Jury Award Won
2017 Best Diretor Won [17]
Asia Pacific Screen Awards 2011 Best Film Nominated [18]
Achievement in Directing Nominated [18]
2017 Best Film Nominated [19]
Avanca Film Festival 2007 Cinema Prize - Feature Film Won [20]
Script Prize Won [20]
Berlin International Film Festival 2020 Golden Bear for Best Film Won [21]
Prize of the Ecumenical Jury Won [22]
Guild Film Prize Won [23]
Cannes Film Festival 2011 Un Certain Regard - Directing Prize Won [24]
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 [25]
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
  1. ^ Indicates the year of ceremony. Each year is linked to the article about the awards held that year, wherever possible.

References

  1. ^ A Man of Integrity
  2. ^ Silverdocs Film Festival Archived 2011-07-16 at the Wayback Machine Mohammad Rasoulof Biography (in English)
  3. ^ IFFR 2022: Mohammad Rasoulof
  4. ^ "Internet Movie Database" 03/17/2010 "Source 2" 12/23/2020
  5. ^ Veli-Pekka Lehtonen, Elokuva nimeltä Tämä ei ole elokuva, Helsingin Sanomat, May 21, 2011 p. C 5
  6. ^ "2013 Official Selection". Cannes. 23 May 2013. Retrieved 23 May 2013.
  7. ^ "Cannes: 'The Missing Picture' Wins Un Certain Regard Prize". Hollywood Reporter. 26 May 2013. Retrieved 26 May 2013.
  8. ^ Meza, Ed (29 February 2020). "Berlin Film Festival 2020: 'There Is No Evil' Wins Golden Bear". Variety. Retrieved 1 March 2020.
  9. ^ Jefferson, Dee (14 November 2021). "Sydney Film Festival's top prize goes to Mohammad Rasoulof's There Is No Evil, about capital punishment in Iran". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  10. ^ Iranian Students News Agency 12/20/2010 "Source 3 Archived 23 December 2010 at the Wayback Machine" 12/22/2010
  11. ^ "Iran Confiscated Mohammad Rasoulof's Passport". www.hollywoodreporter. 18 September 2017. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
  12. ^ "Hamrahi-ye Chehreha-ye Shakhes-e Sinama-ye Iran ba Rasoulof ta Dadgah : Hame bara-ye yeki (Famous Person of Iranian Sinema Accompany Rasoulof to the Court : All for One)". hamdelidaily.ir. Retrieved 8 August 2019.(fa)
  13. ^ "Golden Bear winner Mohammad Rasoulof sentenced to jail in Iran". The Guardian. Associated Press. 4 March 2020. Retrieved 9 March 2020.
  14. ^ "Adelaide Film Festival Winners Announced". HEAVY Magazine. 12 October 2017. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
  15. ^ "Amiens 2011 : avec Joe Dante et Mohammad Rasoulof | Accréds l'actualité des festivals de cinéma". Accreds.fr. 22 January 2020. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
  16. ^ "Antalya Golden Orange FF 2011: Winner -We Will See Good Days". FilmNewEurope.com. 17 October 2011. Retrieved 15 September 2022.
  17. ^ "Antalya Film Festival winners announced | Daily Sabah". Daily Sabah. 28 October 2017.
  18. ^ a b Asia Pacific Screen Awards 2011
  19. ^ Asia Pacific Screen Awards 2017
  20. ^ a b http://www.avanca.com/?q=pt/node/134 Dead link
  21. ^ "'There is No Evil' Wins Golden Bear at Berlin Film Festival". 29 February 2020.
  22. ^ "Berlinale Ecumenical Jury Prize goes to Iranian dissident film | by Anli Serfontein | From Rock to Kraut — The Blog | Medium". March 2020.
  23. ^ "Berlin Film Festival Winners: Banned Iranian Director Mohammad Rasoulof's 'There is No Evil' Takes Golden Bear – Full List". 29 February 2020.
  24. ^ "Absent Iranian Wins Cannes Prize".
  25. ^ "Rebellious Iranian filmmaker wins major prize at Cannes | DW | 27.05.2017". Deutsche Welle.

External links