Amir Naderi

The Runner

The Runner

Childhood takes on mythic dimensions in one of the defining works of postrevolutionary Iranian cinema. Inspired by director Amir Naderi’s own boyhood, The Runner is lit from within by Madjid Niroumand’s electrifying performance as a young orphan fending for himself on the streets of a port city, determined to rise above his circumstances—working odd jobs, passing time with friends, learning to read—and running, always running, toward the future. Water, fire, the human body in motion: in hypnotic images of lyrical power, Naderi finds unexpected glory in the world of a boy suspended between modernity and elemental natural forces as he chases his own path forward.

Film Info

  • Iran
  • 1984
  • 90 minutes
  • Color
  • 1.37:1
  • Persian
  • Spine #1211

DIRECTOR-APPROVED BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES

  • New 2K digital restoration, supervised by director Amir Naderi, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack
  • New conversation between Naderi and filmmaker Ramin Bahrani
  • Audio interview from 2022 with Naderi and actor Madjid Niroumand, moderated by programmer and Rialto Pictures founder Bruce Goldstein
  • Waiting, a 1974 film by Naderi, featuring an afterword by the director
  • Trailer
  • New English subtitle translation
  • PLUS: An essay by critic Ehsan Khoshbakht

    New design by Jillian Adel

Purchase Options

DIRECTOR-APPROVED BLU-RAY SPECIAL EDITION FEATURES

  • New 2K digital restoration, supervised by director Amir Naderi, with uncompressed monaural soundtrack
  • New conversation between Naderi and filmmaker Ramin Bahrani
  • Audio interview from 2022 with Naderi and actor Madjid Niroumand, moderated by programmer and Rialto Pictures founder Bruce Goldstein
  • Waiting, a 1974 film by Naderi, featuring an afterword by the director
  • Trailer
  • New English subtitle translation
  • PLUS: An essay by critic Ehsan Khoshbakht

    New design by Jillian Adel
The Runner
Cast
Madjid Niroumand
Amiro
Moussa Torkizadeh
Also starring
Abbas Nazeri
Credits
Director
Amir Naderi
Screenplay
Amir Naderi
Screenplay
Behrouz Gharibpour
Produced by
Ali Reza Zarrin
Cinematography
Firouz Malekzadeh
Sound design
Amir Naderi
Sound mixing
Mohammad Haghighi
Sound recordist
Nezamoddin Kiaie
Edited by
Bahram Beyzaie

Current

The Runner: Cycles and Circles of Desire
The Runner: Cycles and Circles of Desire

One of the first postrevolutionary Iranian films screened and celebrated internationally, Amir Naderi’s autobiographical masterpiece is a lyrical exploration of childhood that showcases the director’s gift for radical simplicity.

By Ehsan Khoshbakht