In a scene more surreal than any she’s written, Dana Eden—one of the creators of the hit series "Tehran" —found herself leaving Israel by boat during Iranian missile attacks, en route to Cyprus to accompany her son, actor Gur Eden, who is filming a new series by legendary director Martin Scorsese.
On Tuesday, Eden arrived in Cyprus after a long journey aboard a yacht from the Sailor sailing school and club, joined by several Israeli actors bound for Italy to shoot the second season of "The Saints." Among them were Dar Zuzovsky, Tom Graziani, Misochnik, Ariel Yagen, and Gur Eden, who will portray the young Jesus in the series.
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Niv Sultan stars in 'Tehran' as Tamar Rabinyan, a Mossad agent sent on a covert mission to stop Iran’s nuclear program
(Photo: Courtesy of Kan 11, Apple TV)
Speaking to Ynet before heading to Italy, Eden described the experience: “It’s not easy being on a boat in the Mediterranean for 24 hours, but we don’t get seasick. It was a surreal experience—being on a boat with actors on the way to film in Italy. We’ve been on this journey for three days. Twenty-four hours on a boat, then a night in Cyprus, now we’re headed to Athens and from there to Italy.”
The series "Tehran," produced by Dana Eden and Shula Spiegel, has drawn renewed attention in the wake of the ongoing war between Israel and Iran. Recent reports of assassinations in Tehran, exploding vehicles, and the exposure of weapons labs and uranium enrichment sites seem lifted straight from an episode of the show, which stars Niv Sultan as Tamar Rabinyan, a Mossad agent sent on a covert mission to stop Iran’s nuclear program.
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Dana and Gur Eden leave Israel on a small boat amid the conflict with Iran
(Photo: Courtesy)
Filming for the fourth season of "Tehran" was supposed to begin shortly after October 7 but was postponed due to the war in Gaza. Now, with Israel facing off directly against Iran, real life appears to be racing ahead of fiction.
“For the past two years, I’ve been living in this overlap between reality and the show,” Eden said. “We keep asking ourselves whether the events will outpace the series or vice versa. In the end, it’s a suspense thriller, and we want to keep it that way.”
“I have to admit—we’ve been pretty accurate. Season 3 is extremely relevant and touches on exactly what’s happening now in the war: centrifuges, efforts to stop Iran from reaching the bomb, nuclear inspectors, and Iran’s deception,” Eden noted. “Thomas Friedman from The New York Times recommends watching "Tehran" to understand the Mossad’s work. Even the former FBI director endorsed it.”
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The show includes Iranian actors as well. Recently, Iranian-British actor Shervin Alenabi, who appeared in "Tehran," posted a message on Instagram critical of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the Israeli strikes in Iran—but later deleted it. Despite the tensions, Eden insists that the cast maintains excellent relations: “We love the Iranians, and they love us.”
As for the writing of the show, Eden said it now demands unique creativity to imagine what might come next in an increasingly unpredictable reality. For now, she said, “we need to wait for things to calm down to know in which direction to move forward.”
Dana and Gur Eden are unsure how or when they’ll return to Israel, as the skies remain closed and Gur has more filming ahead. “As a third-generation Holocaust survivor, I always assumed someone would come to rescue me,” she joked. “But I never imagined it would be by boat—so my son could play young Jesus.”
"The Saints" is a docudrama mini-series whose first season aired in November 2024 on Fox Nation. Each episode focused on a different historical figure—Joan of Arc, John the Baptist, Mary Magdalene, Saint Sebastian, and others—blending dramatic reenactments with commentary narrated by Scorsese. Season 2, set to premiere in November 2025, will center on eight figures from the New Testament and Christian tradition, including the Virgin Mary, apostles Peter and Paul, Saint Patrick, Longinus (the Roman soldier who pierced Jesus), and Saint Lucia of Syracuse.