Ali Abbasi

Ali Abbasi is a Danish-Iranian director born in 1981, a central figure of contemporary Northern European cinema known for his visually audacious and narratively complex style. After several shorts and his feature debut "Shelley" (2016), Abbasi achieves international recognition with "Border" (2018), a Swedish dark fantasy based on John Ajvide Lindqvist's novella that blends Nordic gothic elements with subtle social criticism. The film wins numerous awards and is acclaimed internationally for its originality and bold direction. With "Holy Spider" (2022), Abbasi addresses Iranian true crime by exploring the case of serial killer Saeed Hanaei with a dramatic perspective reflecting social and religious tensions. Recently, the director completed "The Apprentice" (2024), a controversial biopic about Donald Trump that continues his interest in psychological investigation of complex and controversial figures.