Marlene Dirven (Netherlands, 1992) is a writer, composer and filmmaker. She started out as a poet and text editor before shifting into screenwriting and filmmaking. Her screenplays have been recognised by IDFA and supported with a grant from VAF.
Music had always been there as well. A lifelong musician, she studied cello from an early age and spent a year at the conservatory. She has performed across the globe – from major concert halls to the streets of Tehran – collaborating with a wide range of artists, orchestras and ensembles.
Composition became part of her practice during her time at the Netherlands Film Academy, where she completed her Master Film. Since then, she has created original scores for film and performance, with her work recognised by organisations including Music & Cinema Marseille and IDFA – and broadcast on national classical radio NPO4.
As a writer and artist, Dirven has worked in rural and urban settings across several continents. These experiences, together with her academic background in Iranian literature and cinema, psychoanalysis and philosophy, continue to inform her approach, research and reflective writings on storytelling and cultural memory.
Since 2018, she has also guided other makers through consultancy and workshops on writing and filmmaking, individually and at universities and cultural institutions across Europe. She is currently working on a few film productions, music releases, and some poetry, as always.