Hatem Ali

Hatem Ali (حاتم علي) was a Syrian actor and director. He studied philosophy and later acting at the Higher Institute of Dramatic Arts in Damascus, graduating in 1986. He began his career as an actor in numerous series before transitioning to directing in the mid-1990s. Prior to that, he wrote the script for the film *Bihmo Aakhir al-Layl* and directed it; the film won the gold award at the Cairo Radio and Television Festival. As a director, he produced many notable series, including *Faris fi al-Madina*, *Mir'at 98*, *Mir'at 99*, *al-Fusul al-Arba'ah*, *al-Zir Salim*, *Salah al-Din al-Ayyubi*, and *al-Tughrabah al-Filistiniyah*. He also directed three feature films: *al-'Ushāq*, *Seylina*, and *al-Layl al-Tawil*. He founded an artistic production company named *Sura* (صورة), through which he produced several television works.