Naderi gained international recognition with his 1985 film The Runner (Davandeh), a landmark of the Iranian New Wave that received major acclaim at international festivals. The film’s powerful portrayal of a resilient boy striving to survive and educate himself became a moving exploration of determination, dignity, and childhood in the face of hardship.

One of his earlier breakthrough works, Harmonica (1974), already demonstrated his sensitivity to children’s inner worlds and social dynamics, while later films such as Water, Wind, Dust (1989) expanded his visual and thematic ambition, combining stark landscapes with stories of endurance and human struggle. Throughout his career, Naderi has continually experimented with form and perspective, blending realism with poetic intensity and reaffirming his ability to reflect both personal and universal challenges through cinema.