Mohammad Reza Aslani

Mohammad Reza Aslani (born 9 December 1943 in Rasht, Iran) is a multifaceted Iranian artist renowned as a filmmaker, poet, graphic designer, art theorist and researcher. He began his creative journey in the early 1960s as a poet, co‑founding the avant‑garde literary movement Alternative Poem and publishing the influencing collection Shabhâye Nimkati, Roozhây‑e‑Bâd in 1962, which helped shape the New Wave Poetry of Iran. After studying painting at the University of Art and completing a graduate diploma in filmmaking at the Technical School of Television and Cinema, Aslani turned his experimental eye toward cinema, joining the National Iranian Radio and Television as an art director and designing its logo. His early documentaries such as Jaam‑e‑Hasanlou (1964) and Ghorbat‑ol‑Gharbia (1967) displayed a poetic visual language that blended modernist aesthetics with Iranian mythic themes. In the feature‑film realm Aslani is best known for Shatranj‑e‑Bad (Chess of the Wind, 1976), a visually striking period drama that endured years of censorship before being restored by the Scorsese Foundation for Cannes 2020. After a long hiatus he returned with Atash‑e‑Sabz (The Green Fire, 2008), a narrative collage set against the ruins of the Bam Citadel. Alongside his cinematic work he has authored several poetic and theoretical books, including the epic Hezâr Bâde‑ye Hezâr Bâd (2019), which resurrects a manuscript suppressed by SAVAK. Aslani’s contributions extend to publishing, co‑founding Nashr‑e‑Noghreh with his wife Soudabeh Fazaeli, a press noted for its innovative book design. The couple’s three children—Amin, a filmmaker, and daughters Gita and Narges—continue the family’s artistic legacy. Recognized with a First Order Artistic Badge in 2015, Aslani remains an active figure in Iranian cultural discourse, influencing generations of poets, directors, and visual artists.