Prominent Iranian filmmaker, Dariush Mehrjui, and his wife, Vahideh Mohammadifar, tragically met a gruesome end as they were fatally stabbed at their residence near Tehran on Saturday evening, as confirmed by the judiciary on Sunday. Mehrjui, an iconic figure in the Iranian new wave of cinema, cemented his legacy with the release of “The Cow” in 1969, a pioneering work within this cinematic movement.
Hossein Fazeli-Harikandi, the chief justice of Alborz province, disclosed during the preliminary investigation that both Mehrjui and his wife succumbed to multiple stab wounds inflicted upon their necks. In a chilling revelation, Mehrjui’s wife disclosed in an interview published in Etemad newspaper that they had been subjected to threats, and their home had fallen victim to burglary.
Chief Justice Fazeli-Harikandi clarified, “The investigation unveiled that no formal complaints had been lodged concerning the illicit intrusion into the Mehrjui family’s villa or the theft of their possessions.”
Among Mehrjui’s most illustrious cinematic works, “The Cow” stands alongside remarkable creations such as “Mr. Gullible” (1970), “The Cycle” (1977), “The Tenants” (1987), “Hamoun” (1990), “Sara” (1993), “Pari” (1995), and “Leila” (1997). These masterpieces were commemorated during a tribute at the Forum des Images in Paris, attended by the esteemed filmmaker himself.
During the period from 1980 to 1985, Dariush Mehrjui resided in France, where he contributed to the documentary “Journey to the Land of Rimbaud” (1983). Upon his return to Iran, he achieved commercial success with “The Tenants.”
Notably, in 1990, he directed “Hamoun,” a dark comedy offering a window into 24 tumultuous hours in the life of an intellectual grappling with divorce and the intellectual turmoil within a technology-driven Iran dominated by corporations like Sony and Toshiba.
Throughout the 1990s, Mehrjui delved into the portrayal of women’s lives in works such as “Sara,” “Pari,” and “Leila.” The latter, “Leila,” delves into the poignant narrative of an infertile woman who encourages her husband to embrace polygamy.
