Ali Hatami

Ali Hatami (, August 14, 1944 – December 7, 1996) was an Iranian film director, screenwriter, art director, and costume designer. The Tehran Times dubbed him "the Hafez of Iranian cinema due to the poetic ambiance of his movies." Career Hatami graduated from the College of Dramatic Arts in Iran and subsequently began his professional career as a writer. He made his feature film directorial debut with Hasan Kachal (Hasan the Bald) in 1970, which was the first Iranian musical film. He wrote and directed several films that focused on Iranian culture, including Hajji Washington (1982), Kamalolmolk (1984), and Love Stricken (1992). The Tehran Times dubbed him "the Hafez of Iranian cinema due to the poetic ambiance of his movies." Hatami was also known for directing television series; he established a small production village—the Ghazali Cinema Town—to function as a set for historical productions, which he ultimately used to produce the popular television series Hezar Dastan (1978 to 1987). In 2006, Hezar Dastan was voted by the Association of Iranian Film and Television Critics as the best Iranian television series ever made.