Ruqayyah Chihrah-Āzād (1907 – December 31, 1994), the mother of Iranian theater and cinema, was born and raised in Tehran, Iran. She started her theater career at 19, debuting on stage at 24. In an interview, she mentioned that she chose the last name ‘Chihrah-Āzād’ for herself, being the first woman to uncover her hijab on stage. At 81, she received the Crystal Simorgh at the 8th Fajr International Film Festival for her outstanding lead performance in the 1991 film “Mother,” directed by ‛Alī Hātamī.