Rahavard Farahani (Persian: رهاورد فراهانی; born 10 July 1983), known professionally as Golshifteh Farahani (گلشیفته فراهانی), is an Iranian and French actress. She is known for her performances in M for Mother (2006), Body of Lies (2008), About Elly (2009), The Patience Stone (2012), Paterson (2016), Girls of the Sun (2018), Extraction (2020) and its sequel Extraction 2 (2023), and Invasion (2021–present). She was nominated for the Most Promising Actress Award for The Patience Stone at the 2014 César Awards.
Golshifteh Farahani | |
|---|---|
گلشیفته فراهانی | |
 Farahani at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival | |
| Born | Rahavard Farahani 10 July 1983 Tehran, Iran |
| Citizenship |
|
| Alma mater | University of Applied Science and Technology[1] |
| Occupation | Actress |
| Years active | 1996–present |
| Father | Behzad Farahani |
| Relatives | Shaghayegh Farahani (sister) |
Early life
edit
Farahani was born in Tehran, Iran. She is the daughter of Behzad Farahani, a theatre director and actor, and Fahimeh Rahim Nia. Her sister is actress Shaghayegh Farahani.[2] The name Golshifteh was invented by her father and means "loving flower", whereas her legal name is Rahavard, and means "gift of the road". She began studying music and piano at the age of five, and later entered a music school in Tehran. At 14, she was cast as the lead in Dariush Mehrjui's The Pear Tree, a role for which she won the Crystal Roc for Best Actress from the International Section of the 16th Fajr International Film Festival in Tehran.[3]
Career
editFarahani starred in the drama About Elly, which won Best Picture at the 2009 Tribeca Film Festival and a Silver Bear at the Berlin International Film Festival. Due to her appearance in the Hollywood movie Body of Lies, seen by Iranian authorities as a collaboration with American propaganda and a violation of Islamic law due to Farahani's appearance without hijab, she has not been allowed to return and work in Iran since 2009, and has since resided in France.[4] Since moving to Paris,[5] she has worked with directors Roland Joffé, Huner Saleem and Marjane Satrapi, among others, and was a member of the international jury at the 63rd Locarno Film Festival. Farahani starred in The Patience Stone (2012), directed by Atiq Rahimi from his novel; it was favorably received by most reviewers.[6] She also starred in a 2012 César Award video in the Most Promising Actors category.
In 2016, Farahani played Anna Karenina on stage in Paris and received laudatory reviews. She also played the lead role of Laura in director Jim Jarmusch's American feature film Paterson, opposite actor Adam Driver. The film received overwhelmingly positive reviews, scoring 96% approval on the movie site Rotten Tomatoes.
In 2017, she appeared in the fantasy film Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales as the sea witch Shansa.[7]
In 2020, she was in the action film Extraction as Nik Khan.[citation needed]
She was slated to appear in director Dariush Mehrjui's film Rumi's Kimia,[citation needed] which will be based on Saideh Ghods's novel Kimia Khatoon.
Non-film work
editFarahani is involved in environmental causes, and is an advocate for the eradication of tuberculosis in Iran.[citation needed]
In Iran, she was a member of Kooch Neshin (Nomads), a band that won the 2nd Tehran Avenue underground rock competition. Since leaving Iran, she has teamed up with another exiled Iranian musician, Mohsen Namjoo; their album Oy was released in October 2009.[citation needed]
In December 2014, she took 6th place in the annual Independent Critics Beauty List of 2014.[8]
Farahani, who has been exiled from Iran since 2008 for refusing to wear a hijab while acting in international films, has publicly supported the Mahsa Amini protests.[9][10] On 28 October 2022, British rock band Coldplay invited Farahani to perform with them a cover of Shervin Hajipour's Baraye, which has been described as "the anthem" of the protests, at the band's concert at the River Plate Stadium in Buenos Aires. The concert was broadcast live to over 3,500 theatres worldwide in more than 70 countries as part of a two-night-only live-event cinema special during the Latin America leg of the band's Music of the Spheres World Tour.[11]
Controversy
edit
After Farahani's appearance in the U.S. film Body of Lies, it was reported that Iranian government authorities had prevented her from leaving Iran.[2] However, this was denied by her colleagues, and she appeared at the movie's American premiere.[12] Her last film performance in Iran was in About Elly directed by Asghar Farhadi.[4]
In January 2012, it was reported that Farahani would not be welcome in her native Iran after posing nude in the French magazine Madame Figaro.[13] According to Britain's Daily Telegraph, Iranian government officials told her, "Iran does not need actors or artists like you. You may offer your artistic services somewhere else."[14] A picture from the shoot on her Facebook page initiated a lively debate about her behavior.[15] She also appeared topless in a short black-and-white film by Jean-Baptiste Mondino called Corps et Âmes (Bodies and Souls).[16] She also posed for fully nude photographs taken by Paolo Roversi for an Égoïste cover and editorial.[17]
Personal life
edit
In 2003, Farahani married Amin Mahdavi, the brother of interior designer India Mahdavi, and from whom she later separated.[18] She was also in a relationship with Louis Garrel,[3] who directed and co-starred with her in Two Friends (2015).[19] In a September 2015 interview published in Grazia, Farahani revealed that she had married Christos Dorje Walker, an Australian, five months earlier.[19][20] As of May 2018, she was in a relationship with a "German hippie" who she met in the Nevada desert at the Burning Man festival".[21]
In November 2017, after living in Paris for eight years, she moved to Ibiza, splitting her time between there and Porto, Portugal.[21][22] She had previously indicated her intent to leave France, explaining that she was severely impacted by the bureaucracy and banking system.[19]
Filmography
editFilm
edit| † | Denotes films that have not yet been released |
| Year | Title | Role | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1998 | The Pear Tree | Mitra | Dariush Mehrjui | |
| 2001 | Seven Acts | Fereshteh | Farzad Motamen | |
| 2002 | Zamaneh | Zamaneh | Hamid Reza Salahmand | |
| 2003 | Two Angels | Azar | Mohammad Haghighat | |
| 2004 | Somewhere Else | Raha | Mehdi Karampour | |
| Boutique | Eti | Hamid Nematollah | ||
| The Tear of the Cold | Ronak | Azizollah Hamidnejad | ||
| 2005 | The Fish Fall in Love | Touka | Ali Rafie | |
| Bab'Aziz | Noor | Nacer Khemir | ||
| 2006 | Gis Borideh | Maryam | Jamshid Heidari | |
| In the Name of the Father | Habibeh | Ebrahim Hatamikia | ||
| Half Moon | Niwemang | Bahman Ghobadi | ||
| M for Mother | Sepideh | Rasoul Mollagholipour | ||
| 2007 | The Music Man | Hanieh | Dariush Mehrjui | |
| To Each His Own Cinema | Herself | Abbas Kiarostami | ||
| 2008 | The Wall | Setareh | Mohammad Ali Talebi | |
| There's Always a Woman in Between | Maryam | Kamal Tabrizi | ||
| Shirin | Woman in audience | Abbas Kiarostami | ||
| Body of Lies | Aisha | Ridley Scott | ||
| 2009 | About Elly | Sepideh | Asghar Farhadi | |
| 2011 | If You Die, I'll Kill You | Siba | Huner Saleem | |
| There Be Dragons | Leila | Roland Joffé | ||
| Chicken With Plums | Iran | Marjane Satrapi, Vincent Paronnaud | ||
| 2012 | The Patience Stone | The Woman | Atiq Rahimi | |
| Just Like a Woman | Mona | Rachid Bouchareb | ||
| 2013 | My Sweet Pepper Land | Govend | Huner Saleem | |
| 2014 | Rosewater | Maryam Bahari | Jon Stewart | |
| Eden | Yasmin | Mia Hansen-Løve | ||
| Exodus: Gods and Kings | Nefertari | Ridley Scott | ||
| 2015 | Two Friends | Mona | Louis Garrel | |
| Go Home | Nada | Jihane Chouaib | ||
| 2016 | Sophie's Misfortunes | Madame de Réan | Christophe Honoré | |
| Finding Altamira | Conchita | Hugh Hudson | ||
| Paterson | Laura | Jim Jarmusch | ||
| 2017 | Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales | Shansa | Joachim Rønning, Espen Sandberg | |
| The Song of Scorpions | Nooran | Anup Singh | ||
| Shelter | Mona | Eran Riklis | ||
| The Upside | Maggie | Neil Burger | ||
| Santa & Cie | Amélie | Alain Chabat | ||
| 2018 | The Night Eats the World | Sarah | Dominique Rocher | |
| Girls of the Sun | Bahar | Eva Husson | ||
| 2019 | Blind Spot | Elham | Patrick-Mario Bernard, Pierre Trividic | |
| Arab Blues | Selma Derwich | Manele Labidi | ||
| 2020 | Extraction | Nik Khan | Sam Hargrave | |
| 2022 | Brother and Sister | Faunia Vuillard | Arnaud Desplechin | |
| My Father's Dragon | Dela Elevator | Nora Twomey | Voice only | |
| A Romantic Comedy | Salomé | Thibault Segouin | ||
| 2023 | Extraction 2 | Nik Khan | Sam Hargrave | |
| 2024 | Hood Witch | Nour | Saïd Belktibia | |
| Schirkoa: In Lies We Trust | 242B | Ishan Shukla | Voice only | |
| William Tell | Suna | Nick Hamm | ||
| Reading Lolita in Tehran | Azar Nafisi | Eran Riklis | ||
| TBA | The Thing That Hurts | Arnaud Desplechin | ||
| TBA | Alpha | Julia Ducournau |
Television
edit| Year | Title | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2018–2021 | Gen:Lock | Yasamin 'Yaz' Madrani | Voice only |
| 2021 | VTC | Nora | Main role, 5 episodes Also known as Surge |
| 2021–present | Invasion | Aneesha Malik | Main role, 20 episodes |
Music video
edit| Year | Song | Artist | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2014 | "Pola" | Jabberwocky | [23] |
| 2018 | "Paradis" | Orelsan |
Theatre
edit| Year | Play | Role | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2003 | Maryam and Mardavij | Mayan | |
| 2004 | The Black Narcissus | Workshop | |
| 2005 | Mofatesh (The Inspector) | Firoozeh | Banned in Iran |
| 2013 | A Private Dream | Sarah | Toured North America (March–April 2013) |
| 2016 | Anna Karenina | Anna Karenina | Toured around France and in Paris at the Théâtre de la Tempête directed by Gaëtan Vassart |
Concerts
edit| Date | Venue | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 10 August 2009 | Sala Verdi, Milan Conservatory | With Mohsen Namjoo, presentation of the new album Oy |
| 9 November 2009 | Lido, Venice | With Mohsen Namjoo, during the Venice Film Festival |
| 28 October 2022 | River Plate Stadium, Buenos Aires | Guest appearance at Coldplay's Music of the Spheres, performed Baraye[11] |
Awards and nominations
edit| Award | Year | Category | Nominated Work | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abu Dhabi Film Festival | 2012 | Best Actress – New Horizons | The Patience Stone | Won | |
| Asia Pacific Screen Awards | 2009 | Best Performance by an Actress | About Elly | Nominated | |
| 2013 | My Sweet Pepper Land | Nominated | |||
| Asian Film Awards | 2013 | Best Actress | The Patience Stone | Nominated | |
| People's Choice for Best Actress | Nominated | ||||
| Asolo Art Film Festival | 2008 | Eleonora Duse Award | Herself | Won | |
| Chlotrudis Awards | 2018 | Best Supporting Actress | Paterson | Nominated | |
| César Awards | 2014 | Most Promising Actress | The Patience Stone | Nominated | |
| Fajr International Film Festival | 1998 | Best Actress – International Competition | The Pear Tree | Won | |
| 2004 | Best Actress in a Leading Role – National Competition | The Tear of the Cold | Nominated | ||
| 2008 | There's Always a Woman in Between | Nominated | |||
| Gijón International Film Festival | 2012 | Best Actress | The Patience Stone | Won | |
| Hafez Awards | 2005 | Best Actress – Motion Picture | The Tear of the Cold | Won | |
| 2007 | M for Mother | Nominated | |||
| 2011 | About Elly | Nominated | |||
| Indiana Film Journalists Association US | 2016 | Best Supporting Actress | Paterson | Nominated | |
| International Online Cinema Awards | 2015 | Best Actress | About Elly | Nominated | |
| Iran Cinema Celebration | 2004 | Best Actress in a Leading Role | The Tear of the Cold | Won | |
| Boutique | Nominated | ||||
| 2005 | Best Actress in a Supporting Role | The Fish Fall in Love | Nominated | ||
| 2006 | Best Actress in a Leading Role | M for Mother | Nominated | ||
| 2010 | About Elly | Nominated | |||
| Iran's Film Critics and Writers Association | 2008 | Best Actress in a Leading Role | The Wall | Nominated | |
| Kazan International Film Festival | 2006 | Best Actress | The Tear of the Cold | Won | |
| 2008 | M for Mother | Won | |||
| Kowsar Film Festival | 2007 | Best Actress | M for Mother | Won | |
| Lumières Award | 2016 | Best Female Revelation | Two Friends | Nominated | |
| Nantes Three Continents Festival | 2004 | Best Actress | Boutique | Won | |
| Roshd International Film Festival | 2007 | Best Actress | M for Mother | Won | |
| Stony Brook Film Festival | 2014 | Outstanding Performance | My Sweet Pepper Land | Nominated |
References
edit- ^ "Golshifteh Farahani" (in Persian). Soureh Cinema. Archived from the original on 5 March 2016. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
- ^ a b Tehrani, Souraya (22 August 2008). "Hollywood postponed". TheGuardian.com. Archived from the original on 26 January 2021. Retrieved 2 April 2021.
- ^ a b Rouiller, Nathalie (14 October 2019). "Golshifteh Farahani, aveuglante". Libération. Archived from the original on 14 May 2022. Retrieved 19 November 2021.
Sur les registres, la belle s'appelle Rahavard, "cadeau de la route", en allusion aux chemins de hasard et à leurs surprises d'importance. [...] On l'imaginait double nationale, elle affirme n'avoir qu'un passeport, le tricolore [...] "On n'est pas responsable de la peur des hommes", dit l'ex de Louis Garrel, deux fois mariée et séparée...
- ^ a b Christianson, Emily. "FRESH FACE: Golshifteh Farahani". Hollywood.com. Archived from the original on 21 February 2009. Retrieved 25 January 2009.
- ^ "DiCaprio Co-Star in Islamic Hot Water? at Hollywood.com". Archived from the original on 9 October 2008. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
- ^ "The Patience Stone". Rotten Tomatoes. Archived from the original on 13 July 2014. Retrieved 30 August 2014.
- ^ "Golshifteh Farahani in Pirates of the Caribbean". Archived from the original on 30 November 2015. Retrieved 16 July 2016.
- ^ "100 Most Beautiful Faces 2014... – Independent Critics by TC Candler | Independent Critics by TC Candler". Tccandler.com. Archived from the original on 28 December 2014. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
- ^ "Exiled Iranian actress Golshifteh Farahani lauds protests over Amini's death". Agence France-Presse. 11 October 2022. Archived from the original on 2 February 2023. Retrieved 30 October 2022 – via Al Arabiya.
- ^ Makooi, Bahar (1 October 2022). "French feminists mobilise in solidarity with Iranian protesters". France 24. Archived from the original on 2 February 2023. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
- ^ a b Gillett, Katy (30 October 2022). "Coldplay perform 'Baraye' in Farsi with Iranian actress Golshifteh Farahani". The National. Archived from the original on 2 February 2023. Retrieved 30 October 2022.
- ^ "Colleague denies Iran actress faced travel ban: report" Archived 10 October 2008 at the Wayback Machine, AFP, Tehran, 26 August 2008.
- ^ Tait, Robert (17 July 2012). "Iran imposes travel ban on star actresses". The Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 25 July 2018. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
- ^ McElroy, Damien (18 January 2012). "Iranian actress banned from homeland after naked magazine shoot". Daily Telegraph. London. Archived from the original on 22 January 2012. Retrieved 22 January 2012.
- ^ "Iranian reactions to Golshifteh Farahani's nude photo". Tabeer. Archived from the original on 26 January 2012. Retrieved 22 January 2012.
- ^ Memarian, Omid (20 January 2012). "Nude Photo of Iranian Actress Golshifteh Farahani Roils Iran". The Daily Beast. Archived from the original on 30 November 2016. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
- ^ Richford, Rhonda (20 May 2015). "Cannes: Golshifteh Farahani Talks Nudity and Middle East Politics at Women in Motion Panel (Video)". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on 14 June 2021. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
- ^ Franck-Dumas, Elisabeth (7 June 2012). "Mon nom est persane". Libération. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
- ^ a b c Louaguef, Sarah (8 September 2015). "L'heureux élu est Australien - Golshifteh Farahani annonce son mariage". parismatch.com. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
- ^ "Photo : Golshifteh Farahani et son mari Christos Dorje Walker lors du gala d'ouverture de l'Opéra national de Paris pour la saison 2016-2017, le 24 septembre 2016". purepeople.com. 25 September 2016. Archived from the original on 5 November 2023. Retrieved 17 October 2024..
- ^ a b Schneider, Vanessa (6 May 2018). "Golshifteh Farahani, des racines et des ailes". Le Monde. Archived from the original on 10 September 2024. Retrieved 17 October 2024.
- ^ Boyd, Maya (4 August 2022). "'We are all exiles here': Golshifteh Farahani's remarkable Ibiza journey". L'Officiel Ibiza. Archived from the original on 23 May 2024. Retrieved 18 October 2024.
- ^ "Jabberwocky: Pola, le titre lancinant et addictif dévoilé". Lefigaro.fr. 21 May 2014. Archived from the original on 27 May 2014. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
External links
edit
