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DE (German)

HOUCHANG ALLAHYARI
&
TOM-DARIUSCH ALLAHYARI

Houchang Allahyari was born in Teheran, Iran. As a young man he came to Austria to further develop his early fascination with film and theater; at 17, he had already written film critiques for Iranian newspapers. His interest in psychiatry, however, led him to study medicine in Vienna. Today, he has a private practice in Vienna - dr.houchang.allahyari.at - and until recently was employed by the Ministry of Justice as a psychiatrist in a detainment facility for substance abusers, where for 20 years he worked and did therapy with young substance addicts.

In the public eye, however, he is best known as a filmmaker and director. After early experimental and avant-garde films, there began a collaboration with large Austrian production companies, resulting in successful feature length films which were shown and distinguished at numerous film festivals.

Feature length films:

"Pasolini inszeniert seinen Tod" 1985

Performer: Robert Hunger-Bühler

International Festivals

"Borderline" 1989

First prize at the Monte Catini Festival

"Fleischwolf", 1990

with Hanno Pöschl and Thomas Morris, among others

film prize at the Max Ophüls Festival, international Festivals

"I Love Vienna" 1991

with Dolores Schmiedinger, Hanno Pöschl

April 1992: Houchang Allahyari is presented

with the Johann Nestroy Ring

 

1992: "Goldenes Ticket" for the most successful Austrian feature film of the year

Nominated as the Austrian contribution to the Academy Awards for "Best Foreign Language Film".

Presented as a teaching aid at numerous universities, among them the University of Delaware.

When the film was broadcast by an Iranian language station in the USA, it was watched by more than 30 million viewers worldwide.

"Höhenangst", 1994 - Prize for the best actor in a leading role given to Fritz Karl

with Fritz Karl, Dolores Schmiedinger, Leon Askin, Michael Niavarani

"Black Flamingos - Sie lieben euch zu Tode"

with Marianna Mendt, Dolores Schmiedinger

"Ene-Mene-Mu - und tot bist du", 1999

with Bibiana Zeller, Karl Merkatz

"Geboren in Absurdistan", 1999

with Karl Markovic, Julia Stemberger, Meltem Cumbul, Achmed Ugurlu, Wolfgang Böck, Josef Hader

Second prize at the Kuala Lumpur Film Festival 2003

Chosen by the European Film Commission for the "10e Festival du Cinema European" in Beirut, 2003

Hofer Filmtage 2003, Festival Vancouver 2003

More information: www.filmladen.at/geboreia.htm

"Rocco", 2002 Hofer Filmtage

Short Films (Selection):

"I Like To Be In America" 1981

"Trotz alldem" 1982

"Thing 84" 1984

International und national prizes, among them the Austrian Staatspreis

The development of a form of group therapy with new media, which led to films from and with young prison inmates, e.g. "Der Schritt"

Documentaries (Selection):

"Persische Kultur im Westen", Documentary about the influence of Eastern culture on the West.

for example, Austria-Iran

(Commissioned by the ORF)

"Die zweite Generation", Documentary about the children and adolescents of emigrants

(Commissioned by the ORF)

Theater:

Role in "Geschlossene Gesellschaft" 1991

Moulin Rouge

Direction for "Mourning becomes Elektra" by Eugene O'Neill, Hoftheater Lobkowiz, 1994, a production of Ensemble 90, supported by the Cultural Section of the Embassy of the United States.

TV (Selection):

"Aktuelles Fernsehspiel" / ORF - "Der Tag, an dem sie Jack Unterweger fingen", 1992

"Und morgen der Opernball", TV-Film ORF 1992

"Tatort - Mein ist die Rache" ORF / ARD / DRS

90 Min TV-Film "Eine tödliche Liebe" for the ORF, then shown on numerous stations.