Leila Hatami

Leila Hatami
لیلا حاتمی
Hatami at the 2019 Fajr Film Festival
Born (1972-10-01) 1 October 1972 (age 52)
Tehran, Imperial State of Iran
Alma materÉcole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne
OccupationActress
Years active1984–present
Spouse
​
(m. 1998)​
Children2
Parent(s)Ali Hatami
Zari Khoshkam
RelativesAmir Banoo Karimi (mother-in-law)

Leila Hatami (Persian: لیلا حاتمی; born 1 October 1972) is an Iranian actress. Regarded as one of the best Iranian performers, she is recognized for her realistic roles in various types of drama films. She rose to international fame for her role as Simin in Academy Award-winning film A Separation (2011), for which she received the Silver Bear for Best Actress. She received numerous accolades throughout her career spanning over four decades, including a record 10 Crystal Simorgh Award nominations, winning three, and a record 11 Hafez Award nominations, winning tow.

Hatami is the daughter of filmmaker Ali Hatami and she began her career with acting in the films of her father. She made her film debut portraying Kamal-ol-molk in the drama Kamalolmolk (1984) and received critical acclaim for playing a sterile young woman in the drama Leila (1997).[1] She received her first Crystal Simorgh for Best Actress from the 27th Fajr Film Festival for playing a housewife in Penniless (2009) and received her first international award from the 26th Montreal World Film Festival for her performance in The Deserted Station (2002).

in 2012, the French government made her a Chevalier of the Order of Arts and Letters.[2] She received the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival Best Actress award for her performance in The Last Step (2012)

Early life

Leila Hatami was born on 1 October 1972, in Tehran, Iran, to influential Iranian director Ali Hatami and actress Zari Khoshkam. After finishing high school, she moved to Lausanne, Switzerland and started her studies in Mechanical engineering at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL). After two years she changed her major to French literature.[3] After completing her studies, she returned to live in Iran.

Career

Hatami played several small roles in her father's productions throughout her youth, including in the Hezar Dastan television series and the Kamalolmolk movie. Her first leading film appearance was the title role in the 1997 film Leila, directed by Dariush Mehrjui. She received the Diploma of Honor for Best Actress from the 15th Fajr Film Festival.[4] Following this, she continued to act regularly in Iranian cinema.

She has starred in dozens of films, and has often garnered critical acclaim and accolades. For her performance in The Deserted Station (2002), she was nominated for the Fajr Film Festival Award for Best Actress and she won the Best Actress Award at the 26th Montreal World Film Festival.[5]

She has appeared in her husband's films as a director, Portrait of a Lady Far Away (2005) and The Last Step (2012). She also designed the sets and the costumes of The Last Step and, in addition to receiving the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival Award for Best Actress for her performance, she received a nomination for the Crystal Simorgh Fajr Film Festival Award for Best Production Design and Costume Design for her work on the film.

Hatami at 2013

In 2012, she received international attention for her role in the critical acclaimed Asghar Farhadi film, A Separation, which won dozens of accolades, including the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.[6] Her performance earned critical acclaim and various awards, including the Silver Bear Award for Best Actress at the Berlin Film Festival.[7] IndieWire praised her portrayal as one of the best female performances of the 21st century.[8]

Judging in film festivals

Hatami (second from left) alongside her fellow jury members at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival

In April 2014, she was announced as a member of the main competition jury at the 2014 Cannes Film Festival.[9] Whilst there, she greeted Cannes President Gilles Jacob with a kiss on the cheek, which is a form of greeting in France.[10] Iran's Deputy Culture Minister Hossein Noushabadi offered criticism of her for this:

"I hope that those who attend international arenas as Iranian women would be careful about the chastity and dignity of Iranians so that the image of the Iranian woman is not tainted before the world," he said. "If they respect Islamic norms and the national culture and beliefs of Iran, it would be a desirable thing for Iranian celebrities to go abroad, but if their presence lacks regard for social values and ethical criteria, the Iranian nation is not going to accept it."[10]

In May 2014, after receiving significant backlash for the kiss in Iran—including calls for her to be flogged—Hatami later apologized for her actions in a letter.[11][12]

In addition to Cannes Festival, she has been selected as a member of the jury in many other festivals, including the 79th Venice Film Festival and 41st Karlovy Vary Film Festival.

Full list

Membership in the Academy

In June 2017, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (Oscar) announced that it invited Leila Hatami to become a member of this academy.[13]

Personal life

She married her co-star in Leila (Ali Mosaffa) in 1998. They have two children: a son named Mani (born February 2007) and a daughter named Asal (born October 2008).

Beside her native Persian language she is fluent in French, English, and German.[citation needed]

Filmography

Film

Year Title Role Director Notes
1984 Kamalolmolk Young Kamal-ol-molk Ali Hatami
1992 Love-stricken Leila Ali Hatami
1997 Leila Leila Dariush Mehrjui
1999 Sheida Sheida Fatemi Kamal Tabrizi
2000 The Mix Ms. Salimi Dariush Mehrjui
2001 Water and Fire Maryam Fereydoun Jeyrani
Sweet Jam Jalal's Mother Marzieh Boroomand
2002 The Deserted Station Mahtab Alireza Raeesian
Low Heights Narges Ebrahim Hatamikia
2005 Season Salad Leila Fereydoun Jeyrani
Portrait of a Lady Far Away The Young Lady Ali Mosaffa
Poet of the Wastes The Young Lady Mohammad Ahmadi
The Command Foroozandeh Masoud Kimiai
2007 Every Night, Loneliness Atiyeh Rasoul Sadrameli
2008 Shirin Woman In Audience Abbas Kiarostami
2009 Penniless Shokouh Hamid Nematollah
2010 Forty Years Old Negar Alireza Raeesian
A Walk in the Fog Roya Bahram Tavakkoli
There Are Things You Don't Know Doctor Fardin Sahebzamani
2011 Felicity Land Yasi Maziar Miri
A Separation Simin Asghar Farhadi
Beloved Sky The Lady Dariush Mehrjui
2012 The Last Step Leyli Ali Mosaffa
The Orange Suit Nahal Nahavandi Dariush Mehrjui
Meeting Leila Leila Adel Yaraghi
2013 The Sealed Secret Saba Hadi Moghaddamdoost
2014 What's the Time in Your World? Goli Ebtehaj Safi Yazdanian
2015 Time to Love Bita Tamadon Alireza Raeesian
2016 I Azar Mirzaei Soheil Beiraghi
2017 Subdued Mina Hamid Nematollah
2018 The Last Fiction Shahrzad Ashkand Rahgozar
Pig Shiva Mohajer Mani Haghighi
Bomb: A Love Story Mitra Peyman Moaadi
Tale of the Sea Parvaneh Bahman Farmanara
2019 A Man Without a Shadow Saye Tamadon Alireza Raeesian
We Are All Together Mrs. Mozhdehi Kamal Tabrizi
2022 Imagine Ali Behrad
2024 The Old Bachelor Oktay Baraheni
TBA The Killer and the Savage Ziba Hamid Nematollah Post-production
TBA A Time in Eternity Mehdi Norowzian Post-production
TBA The Way of the Wind Mary Magdalene Terrence Malick Post-production
TBA The Rook Hamid Nematollah Pre-production
TBA The Woman and the Child Saeed Roustaee Pre-production

Web

Year Title Role Director Platform
2019 Blue Whale Anahita Kashef Fereydoun Jeyrani Filimo
2022–2024 Women's Secret Network Delbar Afshin Hashemi Namava

Television

Year Title Role Director Notes Network
1987 Hezar Dastan Young Amine-aghdas Ali Hatami TV series IRIB TV1
Mr. Hekayati Iraj Tahmasb IRIB TV1
1984 Guys Wake Up, Guys Be Alert Marzieh Boroumand
2000 The English Briefcase Mastaneh Pirayesh Ziaeddin Dorri IRIB TV1
2007 Paridokht Paridokht Saman Moghaddam IRIB TV2

Awards and nominations

International Film Festivals
Year Film Festival Award Result Ref
2002 The Deserted Station 26th Montreal World Film Festival Best Actress Won [14]
2010 Every Night, Loneliness Zimbabwe International Film Festival Best Actress Won [15]
2011 A Separation 61st Berlin International Film Festival Silver Bear for Best Actress Won [16]
2012 23th Palm Springs International Film Festival the FIPRESCI for Best Actress Won [17][18]
6th Asian Film Awards Asian Film Award for Best Actress Nominated [19]
popular Actress Nominated
The Last Step 47th Karlovy Vary International Film Festival Best Actress Award Won [20]
Fajr Film Festival
Year Nominated Work Category Result
1997 Leila Best Actress Diploma Honorary
1999 Sheida Nominated
2002 The Deserted Station Nominated
2005 Season Salad Nominated
2009 Penniless Won
2010 Forty Years Old Nominated
2011 A Separation Nominated
There Are Things You Don't Know Nominated
2012 The Last Step Best costume Design Nominated
The Orange Suit Best Actress Nominated
2015 Time to Love Nominated
2017 Subdued Won
Hafez Awards
Year Nominated Work Category Result
1997 Leila Best Actress Won
1999 Sheida Nominated
2001 Water and Fire Nominated
2002 Low Heights Nominated
2011 Penniless Nominated
2014 The Last Step Nominated
2016 Time to love Nominated
2017 I Nominated
2018 Subdued Won
2019 Bomb: A Love Story Nominated
Iran Cinema Celebration
Year Nominated Work Category Result
2001 Water and Fire Best Actress Won
2002 Low Heights Nominated
2010 A Walk in the Fog Nominated
2012 The Last Step Nominated
2017 Subdued Won
Iran's Film Critics and Writers Association
Year Nominated Work Category Result
2001 Water and Fire Best Actress Won
2009 Penniless Won
2010 A Walk in the Fog Nominated
2012 The Last Step Nominated
2013 The Sealed Secret Nominated
2015 What's the Time in Your World? Nominated
2016 I Won
2017 Subdued Won
2018 Bomb: A Love Story Nominated

References

  1. ^ Terri Ginsberg; Chris Lippard (11 March 2010). Historical Dictionary of Middle Eastern Cinema. Scarecrow Press. pp. 175–. ISBN 978-0-8108-7364-3.
  2. ^ "اعطای نشان هنر و ادب فرانسه به لیلا حاتمی" (in Persian). BBC News. 2 August 2012. Retrieved 4 August 2022.
  3. ^ Tom Vick (2007). Asian cinema: a field guide. Collins.
  4. ^ 15th Fajr Film Festival Awards Archived 29 June 2009 at the Wayback Machine. Fajr International Film Festival, Retrieved 25 June 2006.
  5. ^ Awards 2002 Archived 14 April 2006 at the Wayback Machine. World Film Festival, Retrieved 25 June 2006.
  6. ^ "Iran's Leila Hatami among Best Actresses of 21st Century". IFPNews. 24 September 2017.
  7. ^ "Gold and Silver Bears for Iranian film as Berlinale closes". dw.com. 20 February 2011. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  8. ^ "Iran's Leila Hatami among Best Actresses of 21st Century". IFP News. 24 September 2017. Retrieved 30 January 2018.
  9. ^ "The Jury of the 67th Festival de Cannes". Cannes. Retrieved 28 April 2014.
  10. ^ a b Cannes 2014: Iran Criticises Leila Hatami for Kissing Film Festival President. Ibtimes.co.uk (19 May 2014). Retrieved on 16 October 2015.
  11. ^ "Iranian actress Leila Hatami apologises for kissing Cannes president on the cheek". The Telegraph. 24 May 2014. Retrieved 24 May 2014.
  12. ^ "Leila Hatami: Student group calls for Iranian actress to be flogged following Cannes Film Festival kiss". Independent. 24 May 2013.
  13. ^ "10 Iranian Cineastes Among New Oscar Academy Members". Financial Tribune. 30 June 2017. Retrieved 15 June 2024.
  14. ^ "10th Annual Iranian Film Fest Starts". Washington Post. 6 January 2006. Archived from the original on 24 March 2019. Retrieved 24 March 2019.
  15. ^ "Leila Hatami wins Best Actress Award at Zimbabwe festival". Mehr News Agency. 13 September 2010. Archived from the original on 24 March 2019. Retrieved 24 March 2019.
  16. ^ Child, Ben (21 February 2011). "Iranian drama wins top prize at Berlin film festival". the Guardian. Archived from the original on 24 March 2019. Retrieved 24 March 2019.
  17. ^ Lee, Nathan (16 January 2012). "Palm Springs International Film Festival". FIPRESCI. Archived from the original on 25 March 2019. Retrieved 24 March 2019.
  18. ^ "Top Awards at the 2012 Palm Springs Film Festival Include 'Starbuck' and 'The House'". IndieWire. 15 January 2012. Archived from the original on 24 March 2019. Retrieved 24 March 2019.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  19. ^ "Asian Film Awards Nominations 2012 on Notebook". Mubi. 1 July 2018. Archived from the original on 1 July 2018. Retrieved 24 March 2019.
  20. ^ Kiang, Jessica (14 July 2012). "Karlovy Vary Film Fest Review: Leila Hatami Shines In Wry, Tragicomic 'The Last Step'". IndieWire. Archived from the original on 24 March 2019. Retrieved 24 March 2019.
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