Banī Iʻtimād, Rakhshān, 1954-

Rakhshān Banietemad (Persian: رخشان بنی‌اعتماد; born April 3, 1954, in Tehran, Iran) is an Iranian film director and screenwriter. She is often referred to as the "First Lady of Iranian Cinema" due to her prominent role in the country's film industry and her ability to merge political themes with personal and family narratives in her work. Banietemad is known for exploring societal issues through characters, who often represent various segments of Iranian society. Her films often address a wide range of issues such as: the evolving roles of women, poverty, war, domestic abuse, social mobility, and balancing a portrayal of harsh realities with a sense of hope for change. Banietemad's films frequently focus on women, with characters such as Tooba (Golab Adineh), Nobar (Fatemah Motamed-Aria), and Sara (Baran Kosari) representing different facets of women's experiences in Iran. These characters are often revisited and reinterpreted over time, reflecting the changes in Iranian society and culture. Her 2002 film OurTimes (Ruz-egar-e ma) became the first documentary to be released in theaters in Iran.