Hengameh Mofid
Hengameh Mofid is an Iranian film/theater actress, director, dramatist and University tutor.
Life
She was born in January 1956 Tehran, Iran. Mrs. Hengameh Mofid is the youngest child of Gholamhossein Mofid, a well-known actor, teacher and calligrapher and his wife, Ghodssiyeh Farivar, a high school headmistress, they had 7 children and in years, they become one of the most famous and well-known families in Iranian theater and cinema.Her brothers Bijan, Bahman and Ardavan are all in theater business. In fact, it was their father, who was one of the famous actors at his time and his oldest son, Bijan Mofid- one of the most famous writers and theater directors of all times, who –indirectly- encourage the younger ones to be in theater business as well.
Raised in such an artful environment, She entered Tehran conservatory and after graduating, she entered Art College in Tehran. Meanwhile, she was a member in the only professional theater group working specially for children at the Institute for the Intellectual Development of children and Young Adults under the supervision of Mr. , director and tutor of Theatre. There she met her future husband and longtime collaborator, Kambiz Samimi Mofakham. They married in 1977 and have 3 children; all of them are in Art business now.
Being the first and best in children's theater, Kanoon Theater group did so many great performances including "Miss Butterfly", "The cloak of thousand tales", "Kouti & Mouti", "An event in The Puppet Town" and many others. They also performed in the Hamburg, Wales and Sydney International festivals and had many workshops for children all over the world.
Expanding career
Eventually, after becoming a mother, Hengameh leaves kanoon group – that really was not active for so long - and continue her career as voice actress in 4 story records under the "Chehel Tooti" records contract and also recorded a children's favorite nursery songs album" Little Songs" that still is the no.1 in children music records in Iran- with the same company.She also began a new career as a teacher in kindergarten and elementary schools that leads to establishing a private kindergarten with her husband and was the headmistress there for 5 years.
Since 1983, she had a continuous collaboration with children department of IRIB in many fields such as: writing, acting, directing, song writing and composing. She said that working for children as a teacher, help her to stay connected to their fantasy world. Her special talent in thinking as a child and a grownup in the same time, make her one of the successful writers for children. Hengameh created some lovable characters that are still in 3 generation's mind, their funny way of talking, their simple yet clever conversations and the big lesson they taught without being too preachy.
According to herself "Story telling is one of the oldest, most common and most effective forms of art. Everyone knows how a good story can make quarrelsome children forget their quarrel and get them together."
"Story telling is a direct connection between children and grownups, and it can be as simple and friendly as a good conversation."
At the year 1988, she continued her study after the Cultural Revolution and graduated from University of Tehran in Dramatic Literature.
Since 2000, along with other activities, Hengameh Mofid has a continuous collaboration with art universities as theater, music and play writing tutor.
She also works with several amateur theater groups as voice and acting instructor.
Activities and works
A brief ListLiterary works for puppet tele-theaters and TV series
As writer and director:
- The Farm of Bibi khanoon
- The Farm of Bibi khanoon
- Night Time Stories
- Flower Time "Mo-seme Gol"
- The Little Cook
- Dara & Sara
- Sootak & Tootak
- Cloud, Wind, Moon And Sun
- Sonny And Daddy
- Miss Nazanin
- Water, Water, Life
- Mr. Mabaada
- Gholamhossein Khan Asl Tehrani - a TV. series about city of Tehran at the old times according to Gholamhossein khan, the puppet character-
- Hooshi, Gooshi and Mom
- Grannie's house
- The Adventures Of Taghi Jan
- Lazybones "Roofoozeh"
- The Singing Bialou
- The Drifters
- Allesoon & Vallesoon
- The Starling And The Wise Hoopoe
- The Itsy-Bitsy Sparrow
Appearances
Children and young adults plays from 1971 to 1978, The professional theater group, the Institute for the Intellectual Development of children and Young Adults, directed by:
Don Roger Laffoon
Ardavan Mofid
- The Butterfly
- The Turnip
- Kouti & Mouti
- Rise And Shine Miss Sun
- An Event In The Puppet Town
- The Cloak Of Thousand Tales
- The Robots
- Maktab Khaneh
- Aria De Capo
- The Eagle And The Fox
- The Sleeping Luck
- Rostam & Sohraab
- The Moon And The Leopard 1971
- Sohraab, Horse And Dragonfly 1978
- The Gold Tooth 2001
- A tableau of Love" Pardeh Asheghi" 2002
- The Eagle And The Fox 2004
- Pahlevan Kachal and Ververeh jadoo
- The Drifters –feature film version-
- Once Upon A Time
- Children of Iran -a series of feature films, Dir. M. Sarhangi-
- Lala & Loulou- animated film, Dir. F. Sorkhabi-
- The Refugee – live action feature film Dir. R. Mollagholipour-
- Golnaar – children fantasy film, Dir. Kambuzia Partovi-
- Squash Girl –Dir. R. Jian-
Chehel tooti Co. albums:
- The Butterfly
- The Turnip
- Kouti & Mouti
- The Wonderful Farm
- First Fly
- Little Songs
- The Sparrow And The Cotton Boll
- Six Raven Chicks And a Fox
- A children's Tale
- Golnaar
- Art Teacher at elementary schools
- Municipality Zone No.10, kindergartens supervisor
- Concessionaire and headmistress of a private kindergarten for 5 years
- Headmistress and supervisor at the "Behesht Cultural Centre"
- Organizing Workshops at International puppet Theater Festival, Tehran, Iran
- Organizing Workshops with Kalagh Art Group
- Soureh Art University
- University of Tehran, Faculty of Fine Art
- Art University, Faculty of Cinema & Theater
From 1971 to 1978
- Member of professional children and young adults' theater at The institute for the intellectual development of children and young adults
- Participation in the Humburg, Wales and Sidney International theater festivals for children and young adults
- Participation in Folklore dance Festival at Australia, Canberra
- Member of The Itinerant Theater
- Member of selection committee in Tehran International Puppet Festival For University Students 2005
- Member of selection committee in The Mobarak Unima International Puppet Festival 2006
- Honorary Title and Highest insignia of the Academy of Dramatic Arts for Lifetime Achievement in Dramatic Arts
- Honorary Title and Highest insignia of the International Puppet Theater of Tehran
- Honorary Title and Highest insignia of the Municipality of Tehran for Lifetime Achievement in Arts
- Best Play award for writing the "Girls from the Gardens of Carpet" at Fajr International Festival
- Best Directing award for "night time stories" at The Fourth Television Festival