Hossein Martin Fazeli is an Iranian-Canadian filmmaker, writer and educator whose work spans documentary, fiction and experimental cinema. He has directed and produced films in more than a dozen countries, with his work addressing subjects including human rights, displacement, gender and Indigenous issues.
His 2007 documentary The Tale of Two Nazanins examined the case of Nazanin Fatehi, an Iranian teenager sentenced to death. The film helped galvanize international attention to her case and contributed to the campaign that ultimately secured her release.
Fazeli's more recent work includes I Am Gitxsan, a feature documentary about the history and contemporary experiences of the Gitxsan people in British Columbia, and PHOOLAN, a feature documentary about Indian politician Phoolan Devi.
Fazeli has also published six books of Persian poetry under the pen name Naanaam.
Career Fazeli was born in Shiraz, Iran. In 1986 he left Iran for Dubai before emigrating to Canada to study film production at Concordia University and the Vancouver Film School. After completing his studies, he moved to Europe, where he wrote and directed a range of independent films.
Beyond filmmaking, Fazeli is also a poet. He has published six books of poetry in Persian under the pen name “Naanaam” («نانام»).
Selected Filmography
FilmDate I Am Gitxsan 2025Feature-Length Documentary about the Gitxsan First Nation in Canada. https://iamgitxsan.com/ Phoolan 2026 Currently in Post-Production. Feature-Length Documentary about India's Bandit Queen. https://phoolandevimovie.com/Our Country, Our Name 2026Currently in Production. Feature-Length Documentary about the Canadian decedent, Yves Engler and his views on Canadian foreign policy. https://vimeo.com/443909303?fl=pl&fe=cm Women on the Front Line 2015 Feature-Length Documentary about Iranian women's right activists who are on the forefront of one the largest nonviolent civil right movements in West Asia. https://vimeo.com/82733858?fl=pl&fe=cm Legacy of Nonviolent Movements in Iran 2011 Documentary https://vimeo.com/27549444?share=copy&fl=cl&fe=ci Inscribed 2008 Fiction The Tale of Two Nazanins 2007 Documentary with dramatic reconstructions The T-shirt 2006 Fiction The Blind Man 2006 Media Campaign for the European Commission The Journey 2006 Poem Film A Foreign Poem 2004 Poem Film Who is Sahraa? 2003 Documentary about Sahraa Karimi, Afghan Actress, Refugee, Rebel!
References
External links
Fazeli Films Phoolan P.O.V. Filmtidsskrift, Danish Journal of Film Studies Tricko (The T-Shirt) The Blind Man