Massoud Kimiaei was born in Tehran in 1941, and his life took a significant turn in 1969 when he directed his second film, Gheisar, which marked a turning point in Iranian cinema. Kimiaei's protagonist, Gheisar, depicted the ethics and morals of the romanticized poor working class, a genre that had previously been explored in films such as Qarun's Treasure. However, Kimiaei's film also introduced a new genre to Iranian popular cinema: the tragic action drama.
Despite the fact that Kimiaei had no academic training in cinema or theater, and only a few years of experience as an assistant director, he went on to become a historical figure in Iranian cinema. Kimiaei learned filmmaking from the movies themselves, drawing inspiration from the films he watched and the oral synopses provided by friends who had seen them.
One of Kimiai's earliest memories of his childhood was the scene of battle between Rostam and Ashkbous, heroes of Ferdowsi's Book of Kings, painted on the back of a cart that his father used to carry flour for bakeries. As the cart moved, the combatants seemed to come to life, and Kimiai would often try to guess the outcome of the battle.
Kimiai's childhood was marked by restlessness and a tendency to get into fights, which sometimes ended in visits to the police station. However, he eventually redirected his energies towards books, reading voraciously and devoting himself to the study of cinema.
Kimiai's first foray into the film industry came when he met film director Samuel Khachikian, who taught him the basics of filmmaking. Kimiai began his career in 1965 as Khachikian's assistant, but was too young to be given independent work. Instead, he was tasked with preparing publicity materials for American films.
Undeterred, Kimiai continued to work on his own projects, eventually proposing a screenplay to the head of a film studio. However, the studio boss was skeptical of Kimiai's abilities, and it wasn't until he made a one-minute scene from his screenplay that the studio bosses were convinced that he could produce professionally acceptable films.
