Reza Naji is an Iranian actor and an iconic figure of

Iranian cinema The Cinema of Iran ( Persian: سینمای ایران), also known as the Cinema of Persia, refers to the cinema and film industries in Iran which produce a variety of commercial films annually. Iranian art films have garnered international fame ...

. Naji started his career in theater when he was a teenager. While serving in the Iranian army, he continued to perform in different roles. His first role in a film goes back to 1997 in ''

Children of Heaven ''Children of Heaven'' ( fa, بچه‌های آسمان, ''Bæccähâ-ye âsmân'') is a 1997 Iranian family drama film written and directed by Majid Majidi. It deals with a brother and sister, and their adventures over a lost pair of shoes. It w ...

'', which proved to be a breakthrough. For playing the role of Ali's father, director

Majid Majidi Majid Majidi ( fa, مجید مجیدی, ; born 17 April 1959) is an Iranian film director, producer, and screenwriter, who started his film career as an actor. In his films, Majidi has touched on many themes and genres and has won numerous inte ...

was seeking an actor with an

Azeri Azerbaijanis (; az, Azərbaycanlılar, ), Azeris ( az, Azərilər, ), or Azerbaijani Turks ( az, Azərbaycan Türkləri, ) are a Turkic people living mainly in northwestern Iran and the Republic of Azerbaijan. They are the second-most numer ...

accent, and Naji was carefully selected from a group of 2,500 actors tested for the role. Since then, he has played several roles in Iranian films. Among his most notable performances is his appearance in '' The Song of Sparrows'', directed by renowned film director Majid Majidi, for which Naji won the

Silver Bear The Berlin International Film Festival (german: Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin), usually called the Berlinale (), is a major international film festival held annually in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the fes ...

at the Berlin Film Festival, and Best Performance by an Actor at the 2008

Asia Pacific Screen Awards The Asia Pacific Screen Awards (APSA) is an international cultural initiative overseen by the Asia Pacific Screen Academy and headquartered in Australia. In order to realise UNESCO's goals of promoting and preserving the different cultures th ...

Filmography

Awards

* 2008:

Berlin International Film Festival The Berlin International Film Festival (german: Internationale Filmfestspiele Berlin), usually called the Berlinale (), is a major international film festival held annually in Berlin, Germany. Founded in 1951 and originally run in June, the fest ...

Silver Bear for Best Actor The Silver Bear for Best Actor (german: Silberner Bär/Bester Darsteller) was an award presented at the Berlin International Film Festival from 1956 to 2020. It was given to an actor who has delivered an outstanding performance and was chosen by ...

: '' The Song of Sparrows'' Iran’s Naji wins more top accolades of world cinema

Tehran Times The ''Tehran Times'' is an English-language daily newspaper. Ayatollah Mohammad Hossein Beheshti, second in line in the political hierarchy following the 1979 Islamic Revolution, stated: "''Tehran Times'' is not a state-owned newspaper, rat ...

, November 13, 2008. * 2008: Best Performance by an Actor at the

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Naji, Reza Iranian male film actors People from Tabriz Living people 1942 births Silver Bear for Best Actor winners 20th-century Iranian male actors 21st-century Iranian male actors Iranian male stage actors Asia Pacific Screen Award winners