Born in Tehran in 1959, Majid Majidi began as a stage actor and appeared in Mohsen Makhmalbaf's Boycott before directing his own films. He specialises in humane, simple stories about children and the poor, set against Iranian society, often with non-professional actors. Children of Heaven (1997), about a brother and sister who share a pair of shoes, was the first Iranian film nominated for an Oscar. The Color of Paradise (1999) and Baran (2001) won further festival acclaim, and he has since made Muhammad: The Messenger of God (2015) and films abroad.
Filmography
- The Father (1996)
- Children of Heaven (1997)
- The Color of Paradise (1999)
- Baran (2001)
- The Willow Tree (2005)
- The Song of Sparrows (2008)
- Beyond the Clouds (2017) (2017)
- Sun Children (2020)