Hamid Rahmanian

As a New York-based Iranian multidisciplinary artist, Hamid Rahmanian brings together his passion for filmmaking and transregional store of knowledge to create documentaries that aim to bridge the gap between East and West. For over two decades, Rahmanian’s documentaries have courageously sought to combat the negative stereotypes surrounding Iran and Iranians, raise awareness of the discrimination against women and girls around the world, instill a sense of empowerment and hope into the minds and lives of teenage girls, and criticize capital punishment in the U.S. Accordingly, instead of estranging East and West, he extends the scope of his films by bringing intellectual discourses on the cultural differences between regions into a comparative dialogue. Sometimes harrowing and heart-rending, and in most cases heartwarming, these documentaries are visual testimonies to the hidden ties that connect viewers across vast cultural divides. His virtually invisible camera provides a fascinating and often surprising look at an Iran absent from the headlines and far from the watchful eye of TV cameras. In an effort to climb and dismantle the wall of misunderstanding erected between cultures, Rahmanian’s sensitivity, sharp mind, and visual aesthetics showcase a kind of hospitality and friendship that all but ensures this feat, demanding the audience’s respect. His films have been shown on television networks around the world, including PBS, Sundance Channel, IFC, Channel 4, BBC, and Al Jazeera. We are very honored and excited to stream four of his documentaries at Docunight.