Dariush Mehrjui from 'The Cow' to 'Laminoor'; 'The Eye and Light of Iranian Cinema' Murdered

The news of the death of Dariush Mehrjui, referred to as 'the eye and light of Iranian cinema' by the Directors Guild of Cinema and the Association of Producers and Directors, became a headline in media outlets in the early hours of Sunday, October 15, 2023. Some sources and media reported conflicting news about this incident, stating that Mr. Mehrjui and his wife, Vahideh Mohammadi Far, were murdered. Mohammad Mehdi Asgarpour, the head of the Cinema House's board, confirmed the murder of the couple in an interview with ISNA, stating that the bodies of Mehrjui and his wife were found on October 15, 2023, in their private villa in Karaj. The police of Alborz province also announced the initiation of investigations into this matter. Dariush Mehrjui's first film was 'The Cow,' made in 1969, featuring renowned actors such as Ezzatollah Entezami and Ali Nasirian, Jamshid Mashayekhi, and Parviz Fannizadeh. It was one of the prominent films of the Iranian New Wave cinema and one of the first Iranian films to gain attention and acclaim in the West and Europe, winning the Venice Film Festival award in 1971. However, his last film was titled 'Laminoor,' which, after production in 2019, was not granted permission for screening and was confiscated before its release, despite receiving a screening permit from the Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance. Recently discharged from the ICU, Mehrjui reacted to this confiscation in a recorded message, stating that he would stage a protest with his assistants at the Ministry of Culture. In March 2022, in protest against this action by the Ministry of Culture and noting that other films of his had also not received screening permits, he stated that he could not tolerate it this time and wanted to fight back. He said, 'Come and hit me, kill me. Hit this chest of mine, destroy me. Do whatever you want. But I want to claim my right.' Other notable films by Mehrjui include 'Mr. Halo,' 'The Circle of Mina,' 'Hamoun,' 'The Tenants,' 'Sara,' 'Pari,' 'Leila,' 'Guest of Mama,' and 'Santouri.' Dariush Mehrjui was born in 1939 in Tehran.