A Study of the Representation of the City in Ali Hatami's Hezardastan: The Tension Between Tradition and Modernity

Subject Areas : Art

Sara Lashkari ^{1 *} , Seyed Mohammad Rashtian ² , Faeze Taghipour ³

1 - PhD student of urban planning, Department of Urban Planning, Isfahan (Khorasgan) Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran /Tourism, Architecture and Urban Research Center, Isfahan (Khorasgan) Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran.
2 - Assistant Professor, Department of Urban Planning, Isfahan (Khorasgan) Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran/ Tourism, Architecture and Urban Research Center, Isfahan (Khorasgan) Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran.
3 - 3- Assistant Professor, Department of Communication Sciences, Isfahan (Khorasgan) Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran/ Tourism, Architecture and Urban Research Center, Isfahan (Khorasgan) Branch, Islamic Azad University, Isfahan, Iran.

Received: 2024-09-25 Accepted : 2025-01-06 Published : 2025-01-29

Keywords: Cinema, Modernity, Representation, Traditionalism, Urban spaces.,

Abstract :

Many of the challenges of contemporary life stem from the misalignment and tensions between tradition and modernity, as well as the social and cultural anomalies arising from this clash. In Hezardastan and other works, Ali Hatami provides a nuanced analysis of the social, historical, political, and cultural dynamics of Iranian society. With a deep understanding of Iran’s transition into the modern era, Hatami vividly portrays the flaws and challenges inherent in this process.This study focuses on Hatami's depiction of the modern city, the introduction of modernity into Iranian society, and the broader implications of modernization within urban contexts. What does modernization mean in Iran, and what has modernity brought into our lives? These questions are central to this analysis, which examines the intersection of urban spaces, society, and culture with the tensions between traditionalism and modernity in Hatami’s Hezardastan. Revisiting his work is, in essence, a reexamination of his perspective on that transformative era.Using a semiotic approach, this article explores traditional and modern concepts in urban planning, as well as the cultural impact of Hatami’s films in representing the city, society, and urban form. It also presents a case study of key locations, symbolic representations, and visual concepts in the Hezardastan series. Through a comprehensive analysis, the research identifies twenty dominant visual themes that highlight the transition from a traditional to a modern world in the portrayal of Iranian cities. This study ultimately aims to provide a deeper understanding of the significance of urban space representation in Iranian cinema.

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