Born in Tehran in 1957, Makhmalbaf was a young revolutionary who spent years in prison under the Shah. He became a self-taught filmmaker whose work moved from politics to poetry, fiction and reflections on cinema itself. He later left Iran, and his family includes the filmmakers Samira and Hana Makhmalbaf.
Filmography
- The Peddler (1987)
- The Cyclist (1987)
- Marriage of the Blessed (1989)
- Salaam Cinema (1995)
- Gabbeh (1996)
- A Moment of Innocence (1996)
- The Silence (1998) (1998)
- Kandahar (2001)
- The Gardener (2012)