She worked as a model for Chanel and the fashion designer Jean-Paul Gaultier .Born and raised in England and Ireland. She was discovered by photographer Helmut Newton at age of 14. She consequently moved to Paris to start her career. She studied drama at the Conservatoire National D'Art Dramatique and with Blanche Salant and Paul Weaver .Speaks both French and English fluently, with an extraordinary ear for accents and dialects. She also worked in Spanish with Carlos Saura . She has worked in theatre on both sides of the English Channel, playing the title role in Hedda Gabbler in Paris and for the Almeida Theatre, 'Aunt Dan and Lemon'.Member of the jury at the Angers First Film Festival in 2006.Daughter of Kurdish father and a Russian opera singer.Activities : fencing, horse-riding includes side saddle and jumping, swimming, water skiing, snow skiing, motorbike riding, martial arts, athletics.Amira recently worked with the poetic new wave German director, Werner Schroeter (Jury Prize at Venice Film Festival - 2009), and with strong independent directors such as Catherine Breillat, Laetitia Masson, The Larrieu Brothers and Tony Gatlif.She has worked in theater on both sides of the English Channel, playing the title role in Hedda Gabbler in Paris and Aunt Dan and Lemon by Wallace Shawn at the Almeida Theatre. She recently played the lead role of Ans in Olivier Py's production of Les Enfants de Saturne at the Theatre National de l'Odeon.