“Tankkhourha” is one of the series that has recently aired and, due to its structure, content, theme, and the skilled direction of Parviz Sheikh Tadi, has attracted attention from the very beginning. The audience quickly connected with the characters and their stories, following them through the unfolding events.

“Tankkhourha” can be considered an unpretentious series that depicts certain events of the war era, but through a fresh perspective and with characters that are rarely explored in other Sacred Defense works. Both in front of and behind the camera, many professional figures were involved in this project. One of them is Manouchehr Sanie, the series’ editor, who has worked in this field for many years. He has edited numerous films and series, including “Shahr-e Gorbeh-ha,” “Ayeneh Sheytan,” the telefilm “Godan,” series like “Matador,” “Aspirin,” “Bazgasht,” documentaries such as “Shook” and “Mr. Khas,” as well as the program “Emrooz Hanooz Tamoom Nashodeh.”

Apart from industry professionals who are aware of the detailed work of an editor, many viewers may not fully understand the expertise involved in this role. To provide a better understanding of this profession and the process behind the “Tankkhourha” series, we conducted an interview with the series’ editor.”

Immersing the Audience in the Story: Manouchehr Sanie on Editing Tankkhourha

Since editing is a crucial part of any dramatic work, Manouchehr Sanie, in an interview with Jam-e Jam, discussed whether the fact that Tankkhourha is a dramedy influenced his editing approach and what challenges he faced. He said:

“In reality, Tankkhourha is a drama. From a sociological perspective, drama reflects life itself. Life contains happy, sad, tense, and angry moments… so in essence, this is a drama series, which makes the editor’s task considerably more complex. I had to edit everything—from melodramatic and romantic moments to intense action sequences—which required expertise and extensive experience in editing across different genres. The main challenge was to create a seamless narrative with a proper rhythm, without any stumbles in the flow, so the audience never feels like they are watching a film but rather becomes fully immersed in the drama and story. This, in fact, was my primary mission as the editor of the series.”

Creativity in Editing

Since an editor’s primary tool is the footage captured during filming, Sanie added regarding the shots provided by director Parviz Sheikh Tadi:

“First, I must thank Mr. Sheikh Tadi, the director, and Mr. Mohammadi, the producer, for trusting me with editing such an important series. Regarding your question, Mr. Sheikh Tadi set up each scene with unique blocking that essentially facilitated the editing process. Yet, the overall flow of the series doesn’t reveal these differences in blocking across locations, which comes from great skill and experience. For the editor, however, this makes the job more challenging, as you must creatively adapt your editing to follow the director’s vision for each scene. The key point here isn’t just having beautiful shots or unique angles—it’s about finding the right path for each scene, establishing the correct rhythm, and selecting the right shots to convey the drama effectively to the audience. Since the series is set in both urban and battlefield environments, the editing approach differs slightly, but both phases have their unique complexities. In essence, when working with Mr. Mohammadi and Mr. Sheikh Tadi, one should never expect an easy task.”

Sanie also spoke about his collaboration with Sheikh Tadi:

“This was my first project with him, and it was a true honor. He allowed me to handle the raw footage for editing, and honestly, it was my best experience working with a director—a skilled, patient, and creative professional with a distinctive signature who permits creative freedom to achieve his vision. By the second or third month of filming, thanks to Mr. Mohammadi’s continuous support, we reached a common language, and I was able to deliver the director’s intended vision to the audience.”

Presenting a Polished Product

Sanie explained that editing can almost be considered a form of directing:

“Editing is a tool in the hands of the director to communicate more effectively with the audience. An editor must enhance the director’s vision and deliver the final product beautifully and elegantly. Like a director, an editor must be familiar—sometimes even more so—with all stages of filmmaking, from screenwriting to sound design and music. This mastery allows the editor to have a significant impact on creating a compelling dramatic work.”

Rhythm Beyond Screenplay and Performance

Regarding whether the rhythm of a series depends on editing, he said:

“The primary factor in the rhythm of any dramatic work is the screenplay. If you feel a series is slow or boring, you should first examine the screenplay. Then, the form and pacing of the director’s performance play a crucial role. The editor must align with the screenplay and directorial rhythm. Unfortunately, in some works, the editing rhythm does not match the screenplay or direction. In such cases, the director or producer may ask the editor to speed up or shorten scenes to compensate for slow pacing, which often has the opposite effect, distancing the audience. Rhythm in a dramatic work is the combined result of screenplay, direction, and editing. Editing is undoubtedly one of the primary tools for controlling rhythm, but if the screenplay and direction are flawed, the editor alone cannot achieve a rhythm that suits the audience, genre, or medium.”

— Zinab Alipour Tehrani, Media Group