Amina Maher facts for kids

Amina Maher (Persian: امین ماهر, born in 1992) is an artist, activist, actress, and filmmaker. She was born in Tehran, Iran and now lives in Berlin, Germany. Her work often explores family relationships and challenges old ideas. She also uses her art to question common traditions and media.

Amina Maher started her film career as the main actor in the movie Ten (2002). This film was directed by Abbas Kiarostami and Mania Akbari. Ten was even nominated for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. Since then, she has acted, edited, and been part of films shown at major festivals. These include the Cannes Film Festival, British Film Institute, and International Film Festival Rotterdam.

Her short films as a director have been very successful worldwide. They have been shown at over 200 festivals and won more than 50 awards. Some of these awards came from festivals like Ann Arbor Film Festival and Shorts México. Her films Letter to My Mother, Out of Frame, and Where Is the Friend´s Home? were featured in 2022 at the Internationales Frauen* Film Fest Dortmund+Köln.

Amina Maher's creative work looks into childhood memories and personal growth. She aims to share stories that help people understand different experiences. Her first feature film as a director was part of important film events. These include the Berlin International Film Festival and Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival.

Early Life and Education

Amina Maher was born in 1992 in Tehran, Iran. She began writing poems and short stories when she was very young. Her creative work often explores personal connections and childhood memories. It also focuses on understanding oneself.

Amina Maher started her film journey as the main actor in Ten. This movie showed ten-year-old Amina in her mother's car without knowing she was being filmed. When she was fifteen, Maher left her family and began living on her own.

Between 2006 and 2012, Maher continued working in film. She was an actor, assistant director, and editor for her mother, Mania Akbari. They worked on several films together. One film, 10+4, premiered at Cannes Acid Section in 2006. Another, From Tehran to London, was shown in 2013 at the International Film Festival Rotterdam.

In 2010, she started studying at the University of Tehran. She later left Iran to study filmmaking. In 2016, she earned her bachelor's degree in filmmaking from Limkokwing University in Malaysia. Her first student short film was Cold Wine (2012). She then made Orange and One Window Will Suffice.

Letter to My Mother (2019)

Amina Maher's short film, Letter to My Mother (2019), has won many awards. It has been shown at over 200 festivals around the world. The film has been part of the Copenhagen International Documentary Film Festival. It also competed at festivals like the 38th Feminale and the 15th Shorts México.

Many people have praised Letter to My Mother. They have called it brave and touching. The film explores personal experiences and family dynamics. It has been described as a way to understand and move forward. The film received awards such as the Audience Award at the 23rd Indie Memphis Film Festival. It also won a Special Jury Prize at the 15th Shorts México.

After moving to Berlin in 2019, Amina Maher began studying film directing. She pursued her master's degree at Konrad Wolf Film University of Babelsberg.

Other Film Selections

• 10th Sicilia Queer filmfest, Italy
• 15th Queer Xposed Film Festival, Berlin-Germany
• Broadway Cinematheque, Hong Kong Asian Film Festival, Hong Kong
• 12th KASHISH Mumbai International Queer Film Festival, India
• 15th Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival, SMHAF, Scotland - Winner of the Best Experimental Film
• 9th Evolution Mallorca International Film Festival, Spain (2015)
• Chennai International Queer Film Festival

Reviews and Impact

Film experts have written about Amina Maher's work. At the 22nd Belo Horizonte International Film Festival, Letter to My Mother was praised. Reviewers noted how the film combines personal stories and old film clips. It shows the filmmaker's journey to find her own voice.

The jury at the 15th Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival called the film "an act of courage." They said it explores important topics like identity and personal experiences. The film shares a deeply personal story. It also looks for ways to heal and move forward.

Dutch Culture described Maher's filmmaking style. They noted that her films use personal experiences as a theme. Her work is known for being honest and exploring the connection between film, reality, and life.

Life and Other Activities

When Amina Maher was a child, her relationship with her mother was shown in the movie Ten. Four years later, Maher played the main role in 10+4. This film continued the story of Ten and showed her mother's battle with breast cancer. 10+4 was shown at the Cannes International Film Festival. It also received good reviews from critics.

Afterward, Maher continued her film work as an actress, editor, and assistant director. She worked with her mother on films like 6 Video Arts and From Tehran to London.

In 2010, Maher started studying at Tehran University. She was arrested two months later because of her political activities. She had attended a student demonstration. After this, she left Iran to study filmmaking. She went to Limkokwing University in Malaysia. There, she directed several short films. Her first fictional short film, Sweet Gin and Cold Wine, was nominated for an award. It also won an award at the Creative Open International Film Festival in 2016.

In November 2019, Maher completed her documentary film Letter to My Mother. The film explores feelings of anger and identity. It is described as a brave and close look at difficult experiences. The film finds ways to show pain and searches for ways to cope.

Artworks

As Actress

• Ten (2002, as herself the protagonist)
• Repression (2004) (video art)
• Escape (2004) (video art)
• 10 + 4 (2007)
• Sweet Gin and Cold Wine (2014)
• Orange (2015)
• Letter to My Mother (2019, as herself)
• Out of Frame (2022)
• Where Is The Friend´s Home? (2023, as herself)

As Director

• Sweet Gin and Cold Wine (2014)
• Orange (2015)
• Letter to My Mother (2019)
• Out of Frame (2022)
• Where Is The Friend´s Home? (2023)

As Editor

• Letter to My Mother (2019)
• Out of Frame (2022)
• Where Is The Friend´s Home? (2023)

Book

• Start counting from eleven (poem, 2013)