F06 :: Feminist Film Studies: Tahmineh Milani

Tahmineh Milani is an Iranian film director, screenwriter, and producer. She was born in 1960 in Tabriz, Iran. She is arguably the best known female Iranian fimaker. In August 2001, she was imprisoned for her film The Hidden Half. She was accused of "supporting those waging war against God" and "misusing the arts in support of counterrevolutionary and armed opposition groups" even though her film had already received the necessary approval of the Ministry of Cultural Guidance. She continues to make films and defend her choices in those films.

She has multiple awards including;
Grand Prix for Best Film, Geneva Film Festival, 2003
Audience Award, 14th Annual Festival of Films from Iran, Chicago, 2003
Cairo International Film Festival, 2003
Festival of Films from Iran, Boston Museum of Fine Arts, 2003

Films she has directored include:
Children of Divorce 1989
The Legend of a Sigh 1991
What Else is New? 1992
Kakado 1996
Two Women 1999
The Hidden Half 2001
The Fifth Reaction 2003
The Unwanted Woman 2005
Atash bas 2006

I have seen Two Women, The Hidden Half, and The Legend of a Sigh. I suggest viewing all of her films. The films themselves offer unique windows to world we typically assign unrelenting stereotypes.

As I said, I had seen some her films before and have kept an interest in her and Iranian film in general. I think she is a fantastic director and a wonderful example of women of color directing film that portrays their realities.

Trying to find more information about Tahmineh Milani was difficult. I knew she had been imprisoned and released but any more recent information was lost.