00:00Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for visionary filmmakers whose
00:09work reshaped the landscape of Iranian cinema. For this list, we're considering films made by
00:15Iranian directors, whether filmed in Iran or not. Before we continue, if you liked this video and
00:23want more on Iran, its culture, history, art, and heritage, subscribe to our exclusive channel on
00:30Iran, Persia Mojo. Number 10. Daryush Mehrjui, The Cow. Kicking off our list is a giant of Iranian
00:40cinema. Daryush Mehrjui, who launched the country's new wave with the cow, a raw drama about a villager
00:47whose life unravels after his beloved cow dies. Adapted from Ghulam Hussain Saedi's story,
01:01the film follows Mashtasan, played by Ezzatullah Intizami, whose grief turns to delusion as he
01:08begins to believe he has become the animal himself.
01:17Merjui blends Italian neorealism with Persian surrealism to create a commentary on poverty,
01:30social anxiety, and fragile identity. The film's allegorical critique of modernization and rural
01:37hardship shocked authorities, leading to its initial ban. Smuggled to Venice, its stunned critics won awards
01:51and is credited with saving Iranian cinema. Today, the cow stands as a cornerstone of Iran's film heritage.
01:59Number 9. Anna Lily Amirpur, A girl walks home alone at night. Anna Lily Amirpur burst onto the global stage
02:11with this genre-bending sensation, often called the first Iranian vampire western.
02:17Blending Farsi dialogue with the style of American horror, westerns, and graphic novels, she crafts a
02:30haunting story about a mysterious skateboarding vampire who turns the tables on predatory men in a corrupt town.
02:37Her fearless outsider vision flipped Iranian and genre cinema on its head.
02:51I am Dracula.
02:51A girl walks home alone at night, took home nominations and prizes at festivals like Sundance,
03:07Deville, and Sitges, earned rave reviews for its bold visuals and soundtrack, and quickly achieved cult
03:14classic status, establishing Amirpur as one of the most original directors of her generation.
03:21Number 8. Vahid Jalilvand, No Date, No Signature Vahid Jalilvand's No Date, No Signature is a taut,
03:35morally charged drama that cemented his status as a vital new voice.
03:45A respected forensic pathologist strikes a motorcycle at night. The injured family refuses
03:51help. Days later, the father's child dies, and questions of guilt, responsibility, and class
03:58pressure tighten like a vice. Jalilvand builds suspense from quiet gestures and ethical dread,
04:04capturing how institutions and conscience can fail ordinary people.
04:09Ankhored by restrained, riveting performances and spare meticulous staging, the film's compassion
04:23never softens its bite.
04:30It's the work that defines Jalilvand, precise, unsentimental, and deeply humane, turning a small
04:37collision into a haunting inquiry about truth, power, and the price of looking away. And it lingers
04:44long after the credits.
04:47Number 7. Mohamed Rasulov, There is no evil. Few filmmakers risk more for their art than Mohamed
04:54Rasulov, a director who has faced official bans and imprisonment for his politically charged work.
05:00His entire career is a defiant act of resistance, relentlessly interrogating how authoritarian systems
05:12corrode individual conscience and moral choice.
05:20This theme finds its ultimate expression in his masterpiece, There is no evil, which won the
05:26prestigious Golden Bear at Berlin. A stunning act of artistic bravery, the film was shot entirely in secret.
05:41Rasulov masterfully weaves four stories that scrutinize the soul-crushing human cost of capital
05:48punishment, forcing characters and audiences alike to weigh the price of complicity against the perils of
05:56defiance. Number 6. Reza Mirkarimi, Castle of Dreams. Reza Mirkarimi is a master of Iranian family
06:08drama, celebrated for his deeply humanist, character-driven filmmaking.
06:13Ali-chan, why don't you come back? Why don't you come back? Why don't you come back?
06:21His subtle observational style focuses on the quiet complexities of relationships
06:26and moral choices. Mirkarimi masterfully explores themes of responsibility, loss and reconciliation,
06:33and this vision reached a powerful apex with his defining film Castle of Dreams.
06:39Mirkarimi, Castle of Dreams.
06:44Rather than just telling a story, Mirkarimi uses the film's narrative of a reluctant father
06:50reconnecting with his children to craft a profound emotional journey.
06:54Mirkarimi, Castle of Dreams.
07:12Mirkarimi, Castle of Dreams.
07:15Its international success, including Best Director at Shanghai, solidified his reputation as a premiere
07:22auteur whose quiet, powerful stories reveal universal human truths.
07:34Number 5. Samira Makhmalbaf. Blackboards. A prodigy of world cinema, Samira Makhmalbaf
07:42became one of the youngest directors to compete at Cannes, directing her debut, The Apple, at just
07:4817. She solidified her audacious reputation with blackboards, a poetic and surreal allegory where
07:56her signature style, blending harsh realism with dreamlike imagery, is on full display.
08:10The film follows itinerant teachers, carrying large blackboards on their backs through the
08:16war-torn Kurdish borderlands, a powerful metaphor for the struggle for knowledge amidst displacement
08:22and exile.
08:32Using non-professional actors to heighten authenticity, Makhmalbaf's bold humanist vision earned her the
08:39prestigious Jewelry Prize at Cannes, cementing her status as one of the most vital voices of her
08:45generation.
08:49Number 4. Majid Majidi. Children of Heaven. Majid Majidi's Children of Heaven is a beloved
08:55classic that introduced millions to the beauty and heart of Iranian cinema.
09:00Set in Tehran, the film follows young Ali and his sister Zehra as they secretly share a single
09:14pair of shoes after Ali loses hers.
09:23Their daily race to swap sneakers captures the innocence, dignity and resilience of childhood in the
09:29face of hardship. Majidi's neorealist touch and emotional storytelling transformed this simple
09:35premise into a poignant and suspenseful adventure about family, love and perseverance.
09:41The film's Oscar nomination for best foreign language film made history and its gentle warmth
10:03and humanity continue to resonate worldwide.
10:12Number 3. Jafar Panahi. Taxi. How do you make a film when you're banned from filmmaking
10:18and facing government persecution? If you're Jafar Panahi, you get behind the wheel of a cab,
10:24mount a camera to the dashboard and create a masterpiece.
10:28Driving through Tehran, Panahi picks up everyday Iranians whose stories, funny, raw and subtly critical,
10:38captured the realities of life under censorship.
10:41The teacher told us that we need to make a film in one another. We need to make a film in one another.
10:48I want to give you a film until you don't remember your words.
10:52Blending documentary and fiction, the film cleverly critiques social controls and celebrates resilience
11:07through small, unscripted moments.
11:09Do you ever see me there?
11:11Yes, it's always the same. It's the same thing.
11:16Taxi's courage and creativity were honored with the Golden Bear at Berlin,
11:20and in 2025, Panahi became only the second Iranian director to win the Palme d'Or at Cannes,
11:28underscoring his fearless artistry and global influence.
11:37Number 2. Asghar Farhadi. A Separation.
11:41Asghar Farhadi's A Separation is a landmark in world cinema that brought unprecedented
11:47international attention to Iranian film.
11:58The story follows a middle-class couple whose decision about leaving Iran triggers a chain of
12:03divorce, duty and accusation, eventually spiraling into a legal and ethical showdown. Farhadi's precise,
12:11naturalistic direction and layered script revealed the tensions between class,
12:16gender and truth in modern Iran.
12:26Widely celebrated by critics, A Separation made history as the first Iranian film to win the best
12:33foreign-language film Oscar. Its gripping realism and emotional complexity continue to set the
12:39standard for contemporary Iranian drama.
12:41Farhadi went on to win a second Oscar for The Salesman in 2016, joining a select group of filmmakers
12:54with multiple best foreign-language film awards.
13:03Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions that deserve recognition.
13:09Bahman Qobadi. A Time for Drunken Horses. Cannes Kameradur winner gave a voice to Iranian Kurds.
13:24Ali Abbasie. Holy Spider. Modern auteur whose intense film created controversy.
13:41Marjan Satrapi. Persepolis. Co-directed her animated graphic novel adaptation and won Cannes Jewelry Prize.
13:50In just two years' time, our daily lives had changed drastically. And so had we.
13:55Mohsen Makhmalbaf. A moment of innocence. Confronting his past won special recognition at Locarno.
14:10Ali Hatami. Mother. Poet of Iranian cinema's masterpiece is among Iran's most beloved films.
14:20Ali Hatami. I'm a fan of the film.
14:20Ali Hatami. Who is the best of the film?
14:28Number 1. Abbas Kiya Rostami. Taste of Cherry.
14:32No director is more synonymous with Iranian cinema's global ascent than Abbas Kiya Rostami,
14:39widely recognized for his poetic, philosophical approach to filmmaking.
14:43His minimalist style blurs the line between documentary and fiction,
14:52using simple premises to explore life's most profound questions.
14:56This approach reached its peak with his masterpiece, Taste of Cherry.
15:08The film follows a man driving through the hills outside Tehran,
15:12searching for someone willing to bury him after he takes his life.
15:17Through long, meditative takes, Kiarostami transforms this grim task
15:22into a powerful reflection on the simple beauties that affirm life,
15:27culminating in a legendary fourth-wall-breaking ending.
15:30It's historic Palme Doghwin at Cannes, a first for Iran,
15:44marked a turning point for Kiarostami's career and the global recognition of Iranian cinema.
15:50Think we missed a legendary director?
15:58Or do you have a favorite Iranian film that deserves the spotlight?
16:02Drop your picks in the comments below and tell us which movie changed the way you see cinema.
16:09All right.
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