Ali Hatami (; 14 August 1944 – 7 December 1996) was an Iranian

film director A film director or filmmaker is a person who controls a film's artistic and dramatic aspects and visualizes the screenplay (or script) while guiding the film crew and actors in the fulfillment of that Goal, vision. The director has a key role ...

screenwriter A screenwriter (also called scriptwriter, scribe, or scenarist) is a person who practices the craft of writing for visual mass media, known as screenwriting. These can include short films, feature-length films, television programs, television ...

, art director, and costume designer. The ''

Tehran Times The ''Tehran Times'' is an English-language daily newspaper published in Iran, founded in 1979 as the self-styled "voice of the Islamic Revolution". While not state-owned, it is considered state-controlled and closely tied to the hardline factio ...

'' dubbed him "the

Hafez (), known by his pen name Hafez ( or 'the keeper'; 1325–1390) or Hafiz, “Ḥāfeẓ” designates someoone who has learned the Qurʾān by heart" also known by his nickname Lisan al-Ghaib ('the tongue of the unseen'), was a Persian lyri ...

Iranian cinema The cinema of Iran (), or of Name of Iran, Persia, refers to the film industry in Iran. In particular, Iranian art films have garnered international recognition. Iranian films are usually written and spoken in the Persian language. Iran has bee ...

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 This is a list of film directorial debuts in chronological order. The films and dates referred to are a director's first commercial cinematic release. Many filmmakers have directed works which were not commercially released, for example early work ...

with ''Hasan Kachal'' (''Hasan the Bald'') in 1970, which was the first Iranian

musical film Musical film is a film genre in which songs by the Character (arts), characters are interwoven into the narrative, sometimes accompanied by dancing. The songs usually advance the plot or develop the film's characters, but in some cases, they serv ...

. He wrote and directed several films that focused on

Iranian culture The culture of Iran () or culture of PersiaYarshater, Ehsa, ''Iranian Studies'', vol. XXII no. 1 (1989) is one of the oldest and among the most influential in the world. Iran (Persia) is widely regarded as one of the cradles of civilization.

, including '' Hajji Washington'' (1982), '' Kamalolmolk'' (1984), and '' Love Stricken'' (1992). The ''

'' dubbed him "the

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 History is the systematic study of the past, focusing primarily on the human past. As an academic discipline, it analyses and interprets evidence to construct narratives about what happened and explain why it happened. Some theorists categ ...

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. Although his films did not attract international attention, the Iranian audience praised him. He often worked as the art director and costume designer of his own films. He was honoured in 2017 as the subject of the poster for the 35th Fajr International Film Festival.

Death

Hatami's last film remained incomplete because of his death due to

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving Cell growth#Disorders, abnormal cell growth with the potential to Invasion (cancer), invade or Metastasis, spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Po ...

, on 7 December 1996, in

Tehran Tehran (; , ''Tehrân'') is the capital and largest city of Iran. It is the capital of Tehran province, and the administrative center for Tehran County and its Central District (Tehran County), Central District. With a population of around 9. ...

. His Tombstone in Tehran's

Behesht-e Zahra Behesht-e Zahra ( ; ) is the largest cemetery in Iran. Located in the southern part of metropolitan Tehran, it is connected to the city by Tehran Metro Line 1. History In the early 1950s, all the cemeteries in Tehran were supposed to be replac ...

Cemetery says in Persian: "Aein Cheragh Khamooshi Nist" (It is not the nature of light to be dark).

Personal life

His parents were from

Tafresh Tafresh () is a city in the Central District (Tafresh County), Central District of Tafresh County, Markazi province, Markazi province, Iran, serving as capital of both the county and the district. Tafresh is located amidst high mountains sou ...

. He was married to Iranian actress Zari Khoshkam. Their daughter, Leila Hatami, also an actress, starred in the

Academy Award The Academy Awards, commonly known as the Oscars, are awards for artistic and technical merit in film. They are presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (AMPAS) in the United States in recognition of excellence ...

-winning film '' A Separation''.

Films

*''Hasan Kachal'' (1970) *'' Wood Pigeon'' ''(Toghi)'' (1970) *''Baba Shamal'' (1971) *''

Sattar Khan Sattar Khan (, , October 20, 1866 – November 17, 1914), honorarily titled Sardār-e Melli ( meaning ''National Commander'') was a pivotal figure in the Iranian Constitutional Revolution and is considered a national hero by the Iranian people. ...

'' (1972) *''Ghalandar'' (1972) *''Khastegar'' (1972) *'' Sooteh-Delan'' (1978) *'' Hajji Washington'' (1982) *'' Kamalolmolk'' (1984) *'' Jafar Khan Has Returned from Abroad'' (1987) *''

Mother A mother is the female parent of a child. A woman may be considered a mother by virtue of having given birth, by raising a child who may or may not be her biological offspring, or by supplying her ovum for fertilisation in the case of ges ...

'' (1991) *'' Del Shodegan'' (1992) *''Komiteh Mojazat'' (1997) *''Takhti'' (1997) *''Tehran Roozegare No'' (2008)

Television series

*''Rumi Story'' (1972) *'' Soltan-e Sahebgharan'' (1974) *'' Hezar Dastan'' (1978–1987)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Hatami, Ali Iranian film directors Iranian art directors Film people from Tehran People from Tafresh People from Markazi province 1944 births 1996 deaths Deaths from cancer in Iran Burials at artist's block of Behesht-e Zahra 20th-century Iranian screenwriters