Bahram Beyzaie: A Journey in Search of Identity (by Amir Naderi)

Tribute film made by Amir Naderi as part of a conference celebrating Bahram Beyzaie’s 10 year anniversary at Stanford University. The conference was held July 29 and 30, 2021. Amir Naderi’s career began in the 1970s, a turning point in Iranian Cinema. His raw, street level depiction of the ordinary man grappling with the realities of life in urban Iran heralded a new cinematic approach that continues to reverberate to this day. He also made several documentaries that demonstrated the depth of his abilities as a filmmaker. By the early 1980s, Naderi’s films such as “The Runner” (Iran, 1984) and “Wind, Water, Dust” (Iran, 1986) strengthened Iran’s standing in international cinematic circles. By the early 1990s, Naderi moved to the United States to continue his work as an independent filmmaker. Since his departure from Iran, he has successfully made movies in the US, Japan, and Italy. His work has been the subject of retrospectives at museums and film festivals around the world, including the Film Society of Lincoln Center (New York), the Museum of Modern Arts, The George Pompidou Centre, Turin's Museum of Cinema (Italy) and at the Busan International Film Festival (Korea) among many international film festivals. Naderi has been the recipient of many awards and accolades from major film festivals around the world. His extensive filmography includes “Tangsir” (Iran, 1973), “Entezar” (Waiting, Iran, 1974), “Vegas: Based on a True Story” (U.S., 2008), “Cut” (Japan, 2011), “Monte” (Italy, 2016), and “Magic Lantern” (U.S., 2018), among many others.