Early Career

Hamid Khairoldin, born 24th June 1958, is an Iranian film director and scriptwriter. Born in Garmsar, Iran, Hamid started his career making films with Cinema Azad in the 1970s. His initial breakthrough film was ‘A Difficult Reward’ (Padashe Sakht) – an 8mm short film showcased on national TV within Iran. Following the Iranian Revolution in 1979, Hamid turned his attention to war photography and documentary filmmaking during the Iran-Iraq war. 

Feature Films & Documentaries

In 1990, Hamid Khairoldin released his debut feature film ‘Wild Dear’ (Ahoyeh Vahshi). Starring Fariborz Arabnia and Jahangir Almasi, it tells the story of a young music student who struggled to cope with the fracturing of his relationship with his teacher. After receiving positive reviews from Iranian critics, Hamid followed this up with ‘Rebellion’ (Osyan) in 1993. Starring Behzad Khodaveisi as a teacher in a boarding school, the film follows a boy (Nima Hassandokht) who is bullied at school because of rumours circulating about his mother; prompting him to run home to confront his mum to find out the truth. Even though Nima Hassandokht’s stirring performance resulted in him being nominated for Best Child Actor at the Esfahan International Film Festival, the film became enshrouded with controversy after it was accused of promoting ideas that undermined family values; leading to its subsequent banning in Iran for two years.

Hamid returned to direct ‘Ambush’ (Kamin) in 1995. Starring Reza Iranmanesh and Mohamad Kasebi, it tells the story of a terrorist group who takes a schoolteacher hostage, resulting in a group of students who decide to take matters into their own hands. The film received largely favourable reviews from Iranian film critics and was showcased at both Esfahan International Film Festival and Fajr International Film Festival. 

In 1997, Hamid realised his most ambitious film to date, ‘Prostration on Water’ (Sajdeh bar ab). With a prominent cast of Parivash Nazarieh, Ali Dehkordi, and Jamshid Gorgin, this epic film tells the story of an artist and war photographer who gradually turns blind during the Iran-Iraq war. After receiving critical acclaim from the Iran Society of Film Critics, Parivash Nazarieh’s stirring performance won her the award of Best Film Actress at The Moqavemat International Film Festival, whilst also being nominated for Best Female Actress at the Fajr International Film Festival. The film also received wider international attention after being showcased at Cannes International film festival. It should also be noted that this was Hamid’s last feature film in Iran before moving to the United Kingdom in 1997.