Zal Batmanglij
Biography
Zal Batmanglij is an American film director, screenwriter, and producer, born on 28 April 1981 in Vence, France, to Iranian parents. He grew up in Washington, D.C., and studied anthropology and English at Georgetown University before earning an MFA from the American Film Institute Conservatory.
Batmanglij began his filmmaking career with the short film The Recordist (2007), starring his longtime creative collaborator Brit Marling. He later co-wrote and directed Sound of My Voice (2011) and The East (2013), both of which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival.
His best-known television project is The OA (2016–2019), which he co-created and co-wrote with Marling. He directed 13 episodes and served as an executive producer on the Netflix mystery science-fiction series.
Batmanglij and Marling reunited for A Murder at the End of the World (2023), a mystery thriller starring Emma Corrin. He served as co-creator, executive producer, writer, and director, directing four of the seven episodes.
His work is particularly known for combining mystery, science fiction, psychological drama, technology, and unconventional storytelling.