Alireza Davoudnejad Information

Alireza Davoudnejad

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Biography

Alireza Davoudnejad, a prominent Iranian screenwriter, director, and producer, was born on May 7, 1953, in Tehran. He began his career in 1972 by writing the screenplay for Atash (Thirst) for director Iraj Ghaderi and continued to write several screenplays for the same director until the mid-1970s. In 1976, Davoudnejad directed Nazanin, a film that received widespread acclaim from both audiences and critics.

Some of his other notable films include House of Spider (1983), Disarmament (1994), Romantic (1995), Bad Kids (2000), Meeting with Parrot (2003), and Hoo (2005). After the Islamic Revolution, he contributed as a screenwriter to numerous projects, with one of his most successful works being the screenplay for The Bride, directed by Behrooz Afkhami, co-written with Afkhami.

From the late 1990s, Davoudnejad adopted an experimental approach by casting family members, including his mother, brother, and children, in his films. This experimental spirit culminated in the 2010s with the creation of anti-narrative films, with Acting Class and Snake Oil marking the peak of this trend. During this period, his filmmaking style leaned toward a documentary-like approach, deliberately avoiding conventional cinematic storytelling.

Awards and Achievements

Winner of the Crystal Simorgh for Best Film at the 10th Fajr Film Festival for Need (1991)
Winner of the Special Jury Award at the 31st Fajr Film Festival for Acting Class (2012)
Winner of the Crystal Simorgh for Best Screenplay at the 2nd Fajr Film Festival for Prize (1983)
Winner of the Special Jury Award, Best Film, and Best Director at the 3rd House of Cinema Awards for Sweet Miseries (1998)
Winner of the Special Jury Award and Best Film at the 17th Fajr Film Festival for Sweet Miseries (1998)
Honored by the jury at the 4th Zanzibar International Film Festival for Sweet Miseries
Honored for Best Director at the 13th Fajr Film Festival for Disarmament (1994)
Winner of the Special Jury Award at the 14th Three Continents Festival (Nantes) for Need
Winner of the Golden Butterfly for Best Director at the 7th Children and Youth Film Festival for Need
Winner of the Crystal Simorgh Special Jury Award at the 30th Fajr Film Festival for Acting Class (2011)
Winner of the Crystal Simorgh Special Jury Award at the 35th Fajr Film Festival for Ferrari (2016)

Video Index

Chapters:

Childhood and Adolescence
2. Collected Works Before the Revolution
3. Collected Works After the Revolution (Part I)
4. Collected Works After the Revolution (Part II)
5. Collected Works After the Revolution (Part III)
6. The Most Influential Day of Life
7. Experiences and Working Methods

How You Choose Your Subjects
The Role of Research in Your Works
What Is the Place of Iranian Culture and Traditions in Your Works?
The Stages of Creating a Work
A Few Memories
The Main Challenges in Your Professional Path
Which Artists Have Influenced You?
How Have You Benefited from Cinema?
Daily Routine
Participation in Festivals
Which of Your Works Do You Like the Most?
The Evolution of Your Thinking Over Time
Your Relationship with Cinema
The Impact of Profession on Personal Lifestyle

The Audience’s Influence on the Works

How You Deal with Negative Criticism
On Criticism in Iranian Cinema

Cinema and Art

About the Higher School of Cinema
On the Dominance of Imagination over Reality in American Cinema
What Kind of World Is the World of Directing?
On National Cinema
Differences Between Pre- and Post-Revolution Cinema
Differences Among Generations of Iranian Filmmakers
On the “Art and Experience” Cinema

Personal Worldview

What Amazes You the Most?
How Would You Describe Yourself?
The Relationship Between Globalization and National Identity in the Age of New Media
Dreams, Hopes, and Disappointments
Advice to the Youth