Jafar Panahi

Jafar Panahi, the audacious voice in Iranian cinema, was born on July 11, 1960, in Mianeh, Iran, and commenced his filmmaking career in 1988. Panahi’s main genres include drama and documentary, with his most renowned films being "The White Balloon", "The Circle", and "Taxi", the latter of which won the Golden Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival. His authorial style is marked by blending fiction with reality, frequently addressing themes of gender, politics, and cultural restrictions in Iran. On a personal note, Panahi's unwavering commitment to truth-telling, even in the face of personal risk, marks him as not just a filmmaker, but a courageous advocate for freedom of expression.