Maryam Zaree

Maryam Zaree (Persian: مریم زارع; born July 22, 1983, in Tehran, Iran) is a German actress, filmmaker, and writer. She has appeared in various European film productions and gained recognition for lead roles in films such as *Shahada*, as well as for her award-winning performance in the series *4 Blocks*, for which she received the Grimme Prize in 2018. She made her directorial debut with the documentary *Born in Evin*, which explores her birth inside Evin Prison and won the German Film Award for Best Documentary in 2020. Maryam Zaree was born in Evin Prison in the Iranian capital, Tehran.

In 1985, her mother, Nargess Eskandari-Grünberg, fled with her to Germany to escape political persecution. From the age of two, Zaree grew up in Frankfurt am Main. From 2004 to 2008, she studied acting at the Konrad Wolf University of Film and Television in Potsdam-Babelsberg. While still a student, she participated in various film and television productions.

Zaree rose to prominence through her lead role in the feature film *Shahada*, which screened in the Official Competition at the Berlinale in 2010 and received multiple awards at international festivals. For her performance, she received—among other honors—the Best Leading Performance award at the Monterrey Film Festival in Mexico, as well as a Special Mention at the Ghent International Film Festival.