His second film, The Cow, is considered to be the first film of this movement. Most of his films are inspired by literature and adapted from Iranian and foreign novels and plays. In 1959, Mehrjui moved to the United States to study at the UCLA’s Department of Cinema. He studied there under Jean Renoir, whom he credited with teaching him how to work with actors. Back in his native Iran, prior to his film career, he started his own literary magazine in 1964, Pars Review. Mehrjui received many awards throughout his career, including a Silver Hugo from the Chicago International Film Festival in 1998 and a Golden Seashell at the San Sebastian International Film Festival in 1993.
