Ataollah Zahed

Ataollah Zahed (Persian: عطاءالله زاهد; 1915 – 1991) also spelled as Ataullah Zahed, was an Iranian actor of theater, television, and film; a film director; film producer; screenplay writer; educator; and a voice-over actor and director.

Ataollah Zahed was born in 1915 in Shiraz, Fars province, Qajar Iran. Around age 9 he started his artistic activities by acting in a play.

He attended the University of Tehran, where he received a B.A. degree in literature. He later studied Islamic jurisprudence at Marvi Theological School [fa] and Shahid Motahari University. Zahed was one of the founders of Hosseiniyeh Ershad, a non-traditional religious institute in Tehran, where he taught theater and cinema courses.

Zahed died of a heart attack on 6 November 1991, and is buried in Ibn Babawayh Cemetery in Ray, Greater Tehran.

Screenplay writer

• 1955 – The Incident of Life (Persian: Majeraye Zendegi)
• 1956 – Mother's Kiss [fa] (Persian: بوسه مادر, Booseh Madar)
• 1957 – Return to Life (film) [fa] (Persian: بازگشت به زندگی (فیلم ۱۳۳۶), Bazgasht Be Zendegi)
• 1958 – Awaited [fa] (Persian: چشم‌به‌راه (فیلم), Cheshm Berah)

Film producer

• 1958 – Awaited [fa] (Persian: چشم‌به‌راه (فیلم), Cheshm Berah)

Film director

• 1956 – Mother's Kiss [fa] (Persian: بوسه مادر, Booseh Madar)
• 1957 – Return to Life (film) [fa] (Persian: بازگشت به زندگی (فیلم ۱۳۳۶), Bazgasht Be Zendegi)
• 1958 – Awaited [fa] (Persian: چشم‌به‌راه (فیلم), Cheshm Berah)

Film actor

• 1979 – A Path to God [fa] (Persian: راهی به‌سوی خدا, Rahi Be Soo-ye Khoda)
• 1985 – Samandar (film) (Persian: سمندر (فیلم))
• 1986 – The Mare [fa] (Persian: مادیان (فیلم), Madian), as character Nooragha
• 1987 – The Spell (1987 film) [fa] (Persian: طلسم (فیلم), Telesm), as the marriage officiant
• 1987 – The Stone Lion [fa] (Persian: شیر سنگی (فیلم), Shir Sangi), as character Seyyed Mamad
• 1987 – Room One (film) [fa] (Persian: اتاق یک, Otagh-e yek)
• 1988 – Lead Age [fa] (Persian: دوران سربی, Doran-e Sorbi)
• 1988 – Barahoot [fa] (Persian: برهوت (فیلم))
• 1989 – Fish (film) [fa] (Persian: ماهی (فیلم), Mahi)
• 1989 – Eye of the Hurricane (Persian: در مسیر تندباد,, Dar Masir Tondbad)
• 1991 – Bride of Halabja [fa] (Persian: عروس حلبچه, Aroos-e Halabche)

Television series

He acted in the following television series:

• 1983–1985 – Sarbedaran [fa] (Persian: سربداران (مجموعه تلویزیونی))
• 1984 – Taleb [fa] (Persian: طالب (مجموعه تلویزیونی))
• 1987 – Avicenna [fa] (Persian: بوعلی سینا (مجموعه تلویزیونی), Bu-Ali Sina)
• 1987 – Hezardastan (Persian: هزاردستان, Hezār Dastān), on Channel 1, as character Seyyed Ebrahim Rohani, a rohani