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Maryam Zaree

Maryam Zaree

Actor, also director · Born July 22, 1983 (43) · Tehran, Iran

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. She went on to play other lead roles in films such as *Abgebrannt*, *Marry Me*, and the international co-production *I Am Not Him* by Tayfun Pirselimoğlu. On German television, she appeared from 2015 to 2019 as forensic pathologist Nasrin Reza in the Berlin-based *Tatort* series. In the series *4 Blocks*, she played the role of Khalila. In addition to her work in front of the camera, Zaree has also appeared as a guest actress at various theaters, including the Schauspielhaus Hannover, the Maxim Gorki Theater, the Schaubühne am Lehniner Platz, and the Ballhaus Naunynstraße. Zaree also works as a writer and director. With her first play, *Kluge Gefühle*, she won the Authors' Prize at the Heidelberg Play Market in 2017, as well as the Advancement Award of the Schiller Memorial Prize in 2019. Also in 2019, she was awarded a writer-in-residence position at London’s Royal Court Theatre. With her directorial debut, *Born in Evin*, she returned to her own personal history, exploring the circumstances of her birth inside Evin Prison in Iran. The documentary premiered at the Berlinale in 2019, where it received the Compass-Perspektive-Prize, and went on to win the German Film Award for Best Documentary in 2020. That same year, Zaree served as a member of the jury for the Amnesty International Film Prize at the Berlinale.

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Biography from TMDB.

Born
July 22, 1983 (43)
From
Tehran, Iran
Works as
Actor, also director
Titles
13 on MovieCove · 40 credits in all
Links
IMDb (opens in a new tab)TMDB (opens in a new tab)Official site (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)

Known for

TMDB popularity, last 38 days to Oct 27Up 26% in 30 days

What are Maryam Zaree's films like?

Across their 8 MovieCove titles with a thematic analysis, their films lean Bonds and Self.

Themes

share of theme weight
Bonds
31%
Self
28%
Survival
11%
Society
9%
Morality
8%
Power
7%
Ideas
6%
Family bonds3 titles, browse their movies with this themeIdentity3 titles, browse their movies with this themeRomantic love3 titles, browse their movies with this themeTrauma2 titles, browse their movies with this themeDeception2 titles, browse their movies with this themeFreedom2 titles, browse their movies with this theme

What they feel like to watch

their average across 7 films
ToneFeelDemandtheir average · filled zone: the category
Dark: How heavy the subject matter and outlook get. Browse their dark movies.
Tone · Weight
lightdark

Light 1 · Serious 1 · Dark 5

Stylized: How far its world departs from everyday reality. Browse their stylized movies.
Tone · Style
naturalisticheightened

Grounded 3 · Stylized 4 · Heightened 0

Charged: How hard the emotional peaks hit while you watch. Browse their charged movies.
Feel · Intensity
gentleintense

Gentle 0 · Charged 6 · Intense 1

Shifting: How much it swings between very different feelings. Browse their shifting movies.
Feel · Swings
steadyswings

A split, not a type: Steady 3 · Shifting 2 · Whiplash 2

Straight-faced: How much of the runtime is played for laughs. Browse their straight-faced movies.
Feel · Humor
noneconstant

Straight-faced 6 · Some laughs 1 · Funny 0

Slow burn: How fast it moves from scene to scene. Browse their slow burn movies.
Demand · Pace
slowrelentless

A split, not a type: Slow burn 3 · Even-paced 4 · Relentless 0

Engaged: How much focus it asks of you — look away and lose the thread? Browse their engaged movies.
Demand · Attention
casualfull focus

Casual 0 · Engaged 5 · Full focus 2

Heavy: How much it costs you emotionally; whether you need recovery time. Browse their heavy movies.
Demand · Emotional cost
easyheavy

Easy watch 0 · Affecting 1 · Heavy 6

Open-ended: How much is left for you to interpret. Browse their open-ended movies.
Demand · Resolution
resolvedambiguous

Resolved 0 · Open-ended 4 · Ambiguous 3

Roles they play

3 analyzed roles
Shapeshifter
1 of 3
Mentor
1 of 3
Ally
1 of 3

Moods and endings

endings are an aggregate; no title is named

Dominant moods · mentions across their titles

Tense
5
Melancholic
6
Contemplative
5
Dread
3
Romantic
2
Other
3

How their films linger

Haunting6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteThought-provoking6 titles, browse their movies with this aftertasteBittersweet5 titles, browse their movies with this aftertaste

How their films end

  • Bittersweet3
  • Tragic2
  • Ambiguous3

AI-generated from each title's plot synopsis and cast list, with extra plot summaries, reviews and Parents Guide notes for titles the model may not know, and the model's own knowledge of the ones it recognizes. Only analyzed titles count, so this covers part of the filmography; the feel axes count films only for now.

Where can I watch Maryam Zaree's films?

As of October 24, 2026, 10 of their 13 MovieCove titles stream on a subscription or free service.

Also on these channels

Subscription and free streaming for Maryam Zaree's titles on MovieCove; rent and buy are not counted. Titles are listed by Midcredits score, highest first, at most 12 per service; a dashed chip is a producer credit or a minor one, such as a thanks. A service opens the browse page, which counts movies only, so its number can differ.

Filmography

40 credits, 13 with a MovieCove page; 2 appearances as themselves are hidden until asked for.

  • Not a Word (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2024)

    as Barban

  • Skin Deep(2022)

    as Fabienne

    Midcredits score: 56th percentile of all films

  • King of Stonks(2022)

    Show 6 episodes · as Eva Mailand

    Midcredits score: 32nd percentile of all shows

  • Doppelhaushälfte (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2022)

    Show 43 episodes · Director · Co-Writer · as Mari Sawadi

  • Legal Affairs (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2021)

    Show 8 episodes · as Elena Caspari

  • No Hard Feelings(2020)

    as Mina

    Midcredits score: 64th percentile of all films

  • Leif in Concert Vol. 2 (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Actor

  • Undine(2020)

    as Monika

    Midcredits score: 69th percentile of all films

  • Liebe. Jetzt ! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Show 2 episodes · as Aylin

  • MaPa (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2020)

    Show 12 episodes · as Matha Rahemi

  • Music and Apocalypse (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    as Wendela Wendela

  • Born in Evin(2019)

    Director · Additional Camera · Writer · as Self

    Midcredits score: 76th percentile of all films

  • System Crasher(2019)

    as Elli Heller

    Midcredits score: 97th percentile of all films

  • TKKG (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2019)

    as Susanne Carsten

  • Transit(2018)

    as Melissa

    Midcredits score: 81st percentile of all films

  • 4 Blocks(2017)

    Show 7 episodes · as Kalila · as Kalila Hamady

    Midcredits score: 85th percentile of all shows

  • Club Europa (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2017)

    as Yasmin

  • Welcome to Iceland (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    as Alicia

  • Die Stadt und die Macht (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2016)

    Show 1 episode · as Reporterin

  • Rising Voices (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    as Esma

  • Marry Me! (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2015)

    as Kissy

  • A Quintet (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    as Ayala

  • Willkommen bei Habib (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2014)

    as Semra

  • Superegos(2014)

    as Jeanne

    Midcredits score: 27th percentile of all films

  • I Am Not Him(2013)

    as Ayşe / Asiye

    Midcredits score: 47th percentile of all films

  • Unter Feinden (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2013)

    Actor

  • Move(2012)

    as Bibelforscher

    Midcredits score: 68th percentile of all films

  • Tod einer Polizistin (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    as Eden Nasrallah

  • Brothers (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2012)

    as Derya

  • Burnout (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2011)

    as Pelin

  • Faith (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2010)

    as Maryam

  • Engel sucht Liebe (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    as Gülcen

  • Mein Vogel fliegt schneller (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2009)

    as Marie

  • Dr. Molly & Karl (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2008)

    Show 1 episode · as Ayzit

  • Hamburg Dockland (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2007)

    Show 1 episode · as Selima Demir

  • Kommissarin Lucas (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2003)

    Show 1 episode · as Qumar Sabuni

  • Leipzig Homicide (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)(2001)

    Show 1 episode · as Schwester von Cem Yildiz

  • Police Call 110(1971)

    Show 1 episode · as Nadja

    Midcredits score: 24th percentile of all shows

  • Tatort(1970)

    Show 3 episodes · as Amina Rahimi · as Edith Kamann · as Najla · as Nasrin Reza · as Samira

    Midcredits score: 43rd percentile of all shows

  • Opfer (not in the MovieCove catalog yet)

    Director · Writer

Career shape

Star power in the 90th percentile of 239,109 people with a billed film role, over a full career of 40 titles, 39 of them dated from 1970 to 2024; peak year 2020.

Biggest box office

Undine (2020)

$1.2M worldwide

Highest rated

System Crasher (2019)

Midcredits 97th

Most popular right now

4 Blocks (2017)

Film career

19702024

Peak 2020 · at the high point of their film career. Film roles by billing, audience size and rating; 25+ votes. A show carries a single first-air date, so shows are not on the curve.

  • 2012Screen debut· Move
  • 2020Career best· Undine

By role

only this rolewith another role
Acting38 of 40: 37 only acting, 1 with another role · typical Midcredits score60thDirecting3 of 40: 0 only directing, 3 with another roleWriting3 of 40: 0 only writing, 3 with another roleOther crew1 of 40: 0 only other crew, 1 with another role

40 titles, 3 with more than one role — acting and directing overlap on 1 of them.

By decade

1970s2 · acting2000s6 · acting2010s21 · 20 acting · 1 crew2020s10 · 10 acting · 1 crew

Billing

usually 5th · top billed in 0% of 6 roles

Counts from TMDB across their full career, self appearances out; a title counts in every role they held on it. The ring is the typical Midcredits score (the median percentile) of the role's titles that are on MovieCove, shown from 5 scored. Billing is TMDB cast order for roles with 25+ votes, billed in the top 30.

How do Maryam Zaree's films land?

Their typical MovieCove film has a Midcredits score in the 68th percentile, the median of all 9; across their 7 films with reception data, the typical film sits in the 72nd percentile for acclaim.

Acclaim · how much people like their films

72ndpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Approval · how many liked their films

68thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Reach · how many have seen their films

70thpercentile
Typical film, the median of 7

Midcredits score across 13 titles, by percentile

  • 75th and up4
  • 50th to 74th4
  • 25th to 49th4
  • Below 25th1

Shape of the crowd

7 of their 13 titles are Mixed.

  • Universally Loved2
  • Crowd Pleaser4
  • Mixed7

Most divisive · actor, director, writer

Born in Evin (2019)

74th percentile spread · 19% rated it 4 or lower

Most loved · actor

System Crasher (2019)

Midcredits 97th · 87% liked

Reviewers score the acting 76/100 in their films, across 6 reviewed titles; fans 82, detractors 60. The element that speaks to their work as an actor.

Percentiles are each film's standing among all films on MovieCove; the typical film is the median, so one outlier cannot drag it. Percentiles and reviewer scores count the films IMDb credits them on, for now; the Midcredits score bands, the shape of the crowd and the two cards count their MovieCove titles, shows included (a show ranked among shows), appearances as themselves left out. A descriptor is the shape of a title's IMDb rating distribution against the catalog; "most divisive" needs a spread wider than half of all titles, and a card names only a principal credit: a craft role, and on a show a crew role or a run of episodes, never a courtesy credit or a one-off guest spot.

Is Maryam Zaree's work okay for kids?

Across a limited sample of up to 3 MovieCove titles with content scores.

Their medianMedian of all films
Sex & Nudity3 titlesmedian 30 · mildMedian of all films: 32

Severity 0–100 from the Content Guide. Categories with under 10 votes on a title are not counted.

Who does Maryam Zaree work with?

People who share at least 2 of Maryam Zaree's MovieCove titles, grouped by what they did on them; Christian Petzold shares the most, 2.

Directors

Actors

Cinematographers and editors

Producers