Maziyar Lorestani : Maziar Salehi Lorestani (born Shohre Salehi Lorestani on June 20, 1966) is an Iranian actor and director. He began his cinematic career in 1986 with his role in the film "Oghur Bekhair."
Personal Life Maziar Lorestani, born in 1966 in Tehran as Shohre Salehi Lorestani, graduated with a bachelor's degree in Theater Directing from the School of Fine Arts at the University of Tehran in 1990. He also earned a master's degree in Cinema Scriptwriting from the Islamic Center for Cinematic Education at Bagh Ferdows Film Production Complex in 1994.
Gender Transition In 2022, Lorestani publicly announced his gender transition on July 12, 2022, choosing the name Maziar. This revelation generated significant reactions on Iranian social media, with some focusing on his gender transition while others, including transgender rights activists, emphasized the importance of using the term "gender transition." Lorestani shared that his previous identity was that of a man for 56 years and expressed hope for a positive outcome from his transition.
Artistic Career Lorestani initiated his involvement in theater in 1985 with student productions such as "Snow Man," "Negligent Beauty," "I Went to the Garden of Knowledge," "Ajax," "Marriage Proposal," and "Exiles," continuing until 1990. He ventured into cinema in 1991 with the film "Need for" directed by Alireza Davoodnejad.
Starting from 1987, Lorestani directed 17 professional theater performances, including "The Miserable Village of Rogaford," "Gallery," "Curtain Pulling," "Eagle," "Dash Aghol," "Antigone," "Motor," "Theatrical Enterprise," "Bitter Game of Qamar in Scorpio," "Double Life," and "Picnic in the Battlefield." His adaptation of Bahram Bayzai's "Sultan of the Snake" is considered one of his successful theater productions in the 1970s. He also directed the television show "In the Skin of a Lion" written by Shawn O'Keeffe for Channel 4.
Notable television series directed by Lorestani include "Hotel" directed by Marzieh Boroumand and the cinematic film "Mr. Shadi's Mission," among several other telefilms. He has also directed numerous short films and telefilms.
House of Art Veterans In the 2000s, Lorestani, in collaboration with the Tehran Municipality, founded the House of Art Veterans with the aim of providing support to retired artists. However, it closed during Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's government, and the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance established the House of Veteran Artists in its place.
