Asghar Farhadi

Asghar Farhadi (born 7 May 1972) is an Iranian film director and screenwriter. He is considered one of the most prominent filmmakers of Iranian cinema as well as world cinema in the 21st century. His films have gained recognition for their focus on the human condition, and portrayals of intimate and challenging stories of internal family conflicts for which he has received many international accolades including two Academy Awards, a Golden Bear, and a Prix du scénario among others. In 2012, he was included on the annual Time 100 list of the most influential people in the world. That same year, he also received the Legion of Honour from France.

Farhadi made his directorial film debut with the drama Dancing in the Dust (2003), followed by The Beautiful City (2004) and Fireworks Wednesday (2006). He gained acclaim for his film About Elly (2009) earning a Silver Bear for Best Director. He became one of the few directors worldwide to have won the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film twice, for the family drama A Separation (2011) and the moral drama The Salesman (2016), the latter of which also received the Cannes Film Festival Award for Best Screenplay.

He also earned acclaim for his films The Past (2013), which was filmed in France, and Everybody Knows (2018), which was filmed in Spain. Farhadi returned to Iran with A Hero (2021), which earned him the Cannes Film Festival's Grand Prix.