Shabnam Tolouei

Shabnam Tolouei (also spelt Toluie, Tolui or Tolooee, , born in Tehran) is an Iranian actress, theatre director and playwright. She is currently forbidden from working in Iran by the government because of her religion, the Baháʼí Faith, which is subject to state sanctioned persecution. Since December 2004 she has been living in Paris, France. She became a naturalized French citizen in 2019.

Life Tolouei studied filmmaking in Tehran, at Bagh-Ferdos Film School, and has her B.A. in Theatre Studies from Université Paris X, Nanterre, France. She has been writing short stories for cultural magazines since 1990, acting on stage since 1993, and writing plays since 1994. Since 2002 she has also taught the bio-mechanic method and acting for camera at Kranameh culture and Art Training Institute in Tehran.

Career in Iran

Theatre Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare (Directed by Ali Raffi) The one thousand and first night (Written and Directed by Bahram Bayzai) Blood wedding, lorka (Directed by Ali Raffi) Shazde Ehtedjab, Hooshang Golshiri (Directed by Ali Raffi) The Maids, Jean Genet (Directed by Ali Raffi) Bizhan and Manizhe (Epic play based on Ferdowsi's Shahname) directed by Pari Saberi Kiss you and Tears, Charmshir (Directed by Mohammad Aghebati) Roya's room, Foroozand On the Earth, Foroozand Hamzad, Amir Dejakam Cries and demands by the city wall, Tankred Dorst, Directed by Hassan Majouni Tomorrow (*) Morad (*) The 7th Act (*), 1995 Bitter Coffee (*) (Social drama, published in 2003) Bahman Baghdad (*)(a Romance based on Iran–Iraq War), 2003

(*): Plays written and directed by Shabnam Tolouei with Farda Theater Group in Iran.

Novels My Dear Actor (Bazigar-e aziz-e man) (Cheshmeh Publication, ), 2002

Acting in feature films A house Built on Water (directed by Bahman Farmanara) Sharareh (directed by Siamak Shayeghi) The Day I Became a Woman (directed by Marzieh Meshkini) A notebook from the heaven, (daftari az aseman) Parviz Sheykh Tadi Chocolate, Afshin Sherkat A flower for Maryam, Hassan Aghakarimi

Acting in TV series Hamsafar, Ghasem Jafari Inspector shamsi and madame, Marziye Boroumand Without Description, Mehdi Mazloumi A field where reeds grow (Neyestan), Mohamad Mokhtari

Acting in short films No one talks to no one (Hich kas ba hich kas harf nemizanad), Bonakdar& Alimohammadi Love is alone (Eshgh tanhast), Bonakdar & Alimohammadi Desert of the mirrors (Kavir-e ayeneha), Bonakdar & Alimohammadi

Awards The Best Actress in 14th International Fajre Theatre Festival, Iran, 1996 The Second Best playwright in 14th International Fajre Theatre Festival, Iran, 1996 The Second Best Actress in 15th International Fajre Theatre Festival, Iran, 1997 The Second Best Director in 21st International Fajre Theatre Festival, Iran, 2003 The Best Actress in 22nd International Fajre Theatre Festival, Iran, 2004

International Theatre Performances Autumn Dance (director/playwright/actress) performed in Bing Studio Theatre, Stanford University 2017 Autumn Dance, Stockholm, 9th Women Playwrights International, 2012 Autumn Dance (director/playwright/actress) performed in Persian and French language in paris/prague/stockholm/toronto/jonkoping 2011-2013 Bitter Coffee, Silk road theatre festival in Ruhr, Mulheim, Germany, 2003 Kiss you and Tears, Far and Near east festival in Berlin, German, 2004 Kiss you and Tears in Freiburg, Germany, 2004 Kiss you and Tears, Silk road theatre festival in Ruhr, Mulheim, Germany, 2004 Kiss you and Tears, Sharjah festival, Sharjah, UAE, 2005 Kiss you and Tears, Wiesbaden, Stuttgart, Heidelberg, Germany, 2006 Kiss you and tears, Berlin, 2006

Career outside Iran

Film Making 1100, A SHORT FILM (as filmmaker and actress) 2023 Les étoiles, a documentary about women and violence (as filmmaker and editor) editing in progress, USA and France 2018-2019 Dust-Flower-Flame, a documentary about the life of Tahirih Qurratul Ayn (as filmmaker and editor) France 2015. The film is screened in different cities in the world like Paris, New York, London, Washington DC, Berkeley, Stanford University, Toronto, Montreal, Arizona, UCLA University, Chicago, San Francisco, etc. and was broadcast by BBC Persian TV in March 2017 Etre pionnier dans la foie Baháʼíe (as director and editor) Take one (BARDASHTE YEK)/(as director and editor)/ short web documentaries about the followers of Baháʼí faith in France 2011-2012

Film acting 1100 A SHORT FILM /Shabnam Tolouei Mitra/Kaweh Modiri/Baldr Film Production Red Rose/Sepideh Farsi/ feature film/ 2013 Women Without Men/ Shirin Neshat/ feature film/ 2009 La torture blanche (Arash Naimian/ short film) 2009 Munes (Shirin Neshat/ Video installation) 2007 Au dernier recours (Nazmjou) Paris, 2006

Theatre LEILI (Director and Actress) Los Angeles, Arizona, Orange County, San Francisco 2025 SHAHAK and MAHAK, in collaboration with Gordafarid (Actress) Los Angeles, Washington DC, San Diego, Mountain View, Arizona 2025 THE ART OF IMPROVISATION (actress) with Shahrokh Moshkin Ghalam, Pejman Hadadi, Behfar Bahadoran, Performed in Stanford University, Munich, Canada, Seattle, Arizona, Orange County, Los Angeles, Fresno 2023 Diaspora (Director and actor) performed in Stanford University 2023 Tarabnameh (Actress) by Bahram Beyzaei, performed in Stanford University 2016 Bahman-bagdad (playwright and dictor), Krefeld, 2010-2012 for Krefeld city theatre in German Language with german actors 2010-2012 Autumn Dance (director/playwright/actress) performed in Persian and French language 2011-2017 L'entretien (as director and actress )/a Persian play by Mohammad Rahmanian, performed in French language /Lilas En Scène/ Paris 2006 Louvre vue d'ailleurs, musical performance, in Louvre Museum / teamwork /Paris 2005

Radio programs in Persian language Podcasts for Aasoo Org since 2019 Tasvir 2006-2007 for Payamedoost radio Beresad be daste to 2008/ Payamedoost radio Sahba and me (pavaraghihaye mano sahba) 2009/ Payamedoost radio Album 2012-2013 /Payamedoost Radio

Songs Dance! as singer, produced by Majid Kazemi A Girl, as singer, produced by Ares Band and Rasool Sadri Unripe Apple, as singer, actor and video director, music produced by Majid Kazemi, video produced by UnitedVoiceSE

Other presentations Shabnam Tolouei holds live programs, interviewing specialists in the field of psychology and social sciences since 2019. She has been hosting official ceremonies in France and the US since 2015. She has her online acting workshop and weekly theater courses for Persian speaking students since 2021.