| Saber Abar | |
| Native Name: | صابر اَبَر |
| Native Name Lang: | Fa |
| Alma Mater: | Azad University |
| Nationality: | Iranian |
| Website: | Telegram |
| Birth Date: | 8 June 1984 |
| Birth Place: | Tehran, Iran |
Saber Abar (Persian: صابر اَبَر; born June 8, 1984) is an Iranian actor, director and writer. He is best known for his performance in About Elly (2008), directed by Academy Award-winning Asghar Farhadi. He has received various accolades, including two Iran Cinema Celebration Awards and an Iran's Film Critics and Writers Association Award, in addition to nominations for two Crystal Simorghs and two Hafez Awards.
Abar began his career hosting television shows such as Rainbow, a children's TV show, and a game show called In 100 Seconds.[1] He later gained recognition with his role in Mohsen Makhmalbaf's Sha'ere Zobale. In 2006, he starred alongside Ezzatollah Entezami in Minaye Shahr-e Khamush as a driver and that role earned him a Crystal Simorgh Prize Nomination for Best Supporting Actor. Abar's talent did not go unnoticed in Dayere Zangi (2007), as he then was offered a role in Asghar Farhadi's About Elly. The movie received positive reviews, such as the review from David Bordwell, who called it a masterpiece. Abar played "Alireza", whose fiancée goes missing. The role earned him another nomination in the Fajr International Film Festival.
Saber has also starred in Hich (2009), Nokhodi (2009), Thirteen 59 (2010) and Entehaye Khiabane Hashtom (2010) and had a cameo appearance in Ayene-haye Ruberu (2010).[2]
He plays the main role in The Frog.
Abar has starred alongside the likes of Farhad Aeesh, Mehdi Hashemi and Shahab Hosseini in Kargadan (2008), directed by Farhad Aeesh. He has also starred in Dastan-e yek Pellekan (2009), directed by Reza Guran, Caligula (2010), directed by Homayoun Ghanizadeh, and Jire-bandie pare Khorus baraye Sugvari (2011), directed by Ali Narges Nejad. In 2010, Saber directed the play Vav-ha va Virgul-ha.[3]
Abar wrote a bilingual book, "To Seven Houses Away," about Iranian grandmothers across the country of Iran, published by Inja, Middle Of The Town (اینجا میان شهر) in Tehran.
| Year | Title | Role | Director | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | Poet of the Wastes (Shaere zobale-ha) | Mohamed Ahmadi | [4] The satirical comedy about a sentimental street cleaner, who discovers secrets about the neighborhood in the residents’ garbage. | |
| 2007 | Colors of Memory (Minā-ye Shahr-e Khāmoush) | Iraj Bahrāmi, the chauffeur | Amir Shahab Razavian | [5] |
| 2008 | Tambourine (Dayereh-e zangi) | Mohammad | Parisa Bakhtavar | [6] |
| 2008 | Three Women (3 Zan) | Hamed | Manijeh Hekmat | |
| 2009 | About Elly (Darbareye Elly) | Alireza | Asghar Farhadi | [7] [8] |
| 2009 | Lil' Pea | |||
| 2010 | Nothing | Nima | ||
| 2011 | Thirteen 59 | |||
| 2011 | Mr. Yousef | Sirus | ||
| 2011 | Here Without Me | |||
| 2011 | Facing Mirrors | Sadegh | Negar Azarbeyjani | [9] |
| 2012 | The Snow on the Pines | |||
| 2012 | Modest Reception | |||
| 2012 | Kissing the Moon-Like Face (Boosidane Roye Mah) | Homayoun Assadian | A drama about two neighboring older women, both lost their sons during the Iran-Iraq War 20 years prior, and now one of the woman has a terminal illness.[10] | |
| 2012 | At the End of 8th Street | |||
| 2013 | Shallow Yellow Sky | |||
| 2013 | No Where No Body | |||
| 2013 | Acrid (Gass) | Khosrow, the driving instructor | Kiarash Asadizadeh | [11] |
| 2013 | Lovely Trash | |||
| 2014 | Sending a Condolences Ad for Newspaper | |||
| 2014 | Everything for Sale | |||
| 2014 | Dreamy | |||
| 2015 | I Am Diego Maradona | |||
| 2015 | Crazy Rook | |||
| 2015 | Closer | |||
| 2015 | Dowry's Sugar Bowl | |||
| 2015 | I Want to Dance | |||
| 2017 | Villa Dwellers | |||
| 2017 | Searing Summer | Ebrahim Irajzad | [12] | |
| 2017 | Getting Even | Reza | ||
| 2018 | Hat-trick | Keyvan | Ramtin Lavafi | A psychological thriller about two couples that are leaving a party together when the car hits something, the story unravels with suspenseful tension full of secrets.[13] [14] |
| 2019 | A Hairy Tale | Danesh | Homayoun Ghanizadeh | [15] |
| 2022 | No Prior Appointment | Behrouz Shoeibi | ||
| Without Her | Arian Vazirdaftari | |||
| 2023 | After Leaving | Reza Nejati | ||
| Leather Jacket Man | Hossein Mirzamohammadi | |||
| A Relic of the South | Hossein Amiri Doomari, Pedram Pouramiri | |||
| 2024 | The Great Yawn of History | Maalek | Aliyar Rasti | World premiere at 74th Berlin International Film Festival[16] |
| Year | Title | Role | Director | Platform |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020–2021 | The Frog | Ramin Fayazi | Houman Seyyedi | Namava |
| 2023 | The Translator | Mohandes | Bahram Tavakoli | |
| TBA | Tasian | Tina Pakravan | Filimo | |
| Year | Award | Category | Nominated film work title | Result | Location | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Crystal Simorgh Award, 25th Fajr Film Festival | Best Supporting Actor | Colors of Memory | Nominated | Tehran, Iran | [17] | |
| 2007 | 11th Iran Cinema Celebration | Best Supporting Actor | Colors of Memory | Won | Tehran, Iran | ||
| 2009 | Crystal Simorgh Award, 27th Fajr Film Festival | Best Supporting Actor | About Elly | Nominated | Tehran, Iran | ||
| 2010 | 14th Iran Cinema Celebration | Best Supporting Actor | About Elly | Won | Tehran, Iran | [18] | |
| 2010 | 3rd Iran's Film Critics and Writers Association Award | Best Supporting Actor | About Elly | Won | Tehran, Iran | ||
| 2013 | 6th Iran's Film Critics and Writers Association Award | Best Supporting Actor | The Snow on the Pines | Nominated | Tehran, Iran | ||
| 2013 | 6th Iran's Film Critics and Writers Association Award | Best Supporting Actor | Kissing the Moon-Like Face | Nominated | Tehran, Iran | ||
| 2013 | 8th Rome Film Festival | Best Emerging Actors and Actresses (for entire cast) | Acrid | Won | Rome, Italy | [19] |