Hezar Dastan

Hezardastan (Persian: هزاردستان, romanized: Hezār Dastān) also known as Hezar Dastan, was an Iranian epic historical drama television series from 1987, developed and directed by Ali Hatami. Hezar Dastan is considered one of the most important and most influential works of art in the history of Islamic Republic of Iran Broadcasting. The show's story, characters, acting, style, and music were highly acclaimed by critics and fellow directors of the time, and the influence of the show's themes and story can be seen in Iranian popular culture as well as many works of art coming in later years. The production of the show took almost 8 years, starting in 1979 and ending in 1987, during which Hatami established a large set to represent Tehran in both Qajar dynasty and World War II, retroactively creating Iran's first movie studio and backlot (named Ghazali Cinema Town). The show was the ground for many controversies in terms of censorship and changes in the story. In 2006, Hezar Dastan was voted by the Association of Iranian movies and TV critics as the best Iranian TV series ever made.