TEHRAN -- Iranian actress Maryam Hemmatian was laid to rest at the Artists Section of Tehran’s Behesht-e Zahra Cemetery on Wednesday, as colleagues, filmmakers and friends gathered to pay their final respects to the young performer.
Hemmatian, born in 1993, died on Sunday, August 2, after a two-year battle with cancer. She was diagnosed with the illness while filming “The Hedgehog” and continued pursuing her acting career throughout her treatment.
Among those attending the funeral were filmmaker Adel Tabrizi, Mehdi Ghorbanpour, Hanif Sarvari and other members of Iran’s cinema community.
Hemmatian began her acting career in 2013 after studying at the Karnameh Institute and Azad Film. She made her feature film debut in Muhammad Ali Sajjadi’s “Divorce Me” before gaining wider recognition for her role in Adel Tabrizi’s “Punch Drunk.”
Her screen credits also include “Green Plum Season,” “Above Blackness” and “The Hedgehog,” while she appeared in Ahmad Bahrami’s “The Wasteman,” which was screened at the Shanghai International Film Festival in 2024.
Speaking at the funeral, Tabrizi described Hemmatian as a gifted and beloved actress whose contribution to Iranian cinema deserved greater recognition.
“If Maryam had not been there, ‘Punch Drunk’ would never have been made,” he said.
Tabrizi remembered Hemmatian as an artist whose passion extended beyond acting to cinema itself, saying her deep knowledge of film, humility and optimism inspired those around her. Even during her illness, he said, she continued sharing her love of cinema and offering hope to others.