Iranian filmmaker Dariush Mehrjui (83), wife stabbed to death
Leading auteur director Dariush Mehrjui, revered globally for his contribution to Iranian cinema's New Wave movement, has been stabbed to death by an unknown assailant at his residence in Karaj, near Tehran, reported Iranian media. His wife, writer Vahideh Mohammadifar, also succumbed to the deadly attack. Reportedly, their dead bodies were tragically discovered by his daughter Mona Mehrjui on Saturday evening (local time).
Mohammadifar complained of death threat recently
The Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA) cited a judicial official Hossein Fazeli and reported that the late couple was found dead at their residence with "knife wounds in their necks." While not much is known currently about the attacker(s), notably, Mohammadifar had recently written on social media that she had received a "knife threat" in the past few weeks.
Look at his career, breakthrough film
Mehrjui was a founding member of the Iranian New Wave movement and renowned for the neo-realism in his movies, often based on literary works. His film The Cow (1969) is considered a landmark film in Iranian cinema and explores a relationship between an Iranian villager and his cow. It was the recipient of the FIPRESCI International Film Critics Award at 1971's Venice Film Festival.
Was inspired by 'Bicycle Thieves,' made several critically acclaimed films
Vittorio De Sica's cult classic film Bicycle Thieves (1948) deeply impacted Mehrjui and pushed him in the direction of being a filmmaker. Apart from The Cow, he also garnered respect worldwide for his projects, such as Mum's Guest, To Stay Alive, The Pear Tree, and Sara. He had also led the fight against state censorship and was a vocal critic of Iran's Islamic regime.
Had astounding fighting spirit against censorship
Last year, Mehrjui posted a video expressing his frustration at the state-engineered obstacles that impeded the release of his film La Minor. "I cannot stand it. I will protest at the Culture Ministry with my assistants. I won't give up until I get my right. I want to fight... Kill me, do whatever you want...destroy me, but I want my right," he had roared.
