Iranian filmmaker Nasser Taghvai passes away at 84

Acclaimed Iranian filmmaker Nasser Taghvai passed away at the age of 84, his wife confirmed on Tuesday (October 14).

Taghvai’s wife, actor Marzieh Vafamehr, announced the news on social media handles, writing, “Nasser Taghvai, an artist who chose the difficulty of living freely, has earned his liberation.”

Born on July 13, 1941, in Abadan, Taghvai began his artistic journey as a story writer and documentary filmmaker. He made his debut in 1972 with Tranquility in the Presence of Others, an adaptation of Gholam-Hossein Sa’edi’s story ‘Nameless Anxieties.’ The film earned Taghvai global critical acclaim.

In a career spanning over three decades, the filmmaker directed six films, including Captain Khorshid, which won him the Bronze Leopard at the Locarno Film Festival in 1988. He also made the television series My Uncle Napoleon, an adaptation of the novel by Iranian author Iraj Pezeshkzad. Taghvai also made several notable documentaries, such as Wind of Jin and Arbaeen.

Many controversies marked Taghvai’s career, and the filmmaker was later known for his strife against censorship in Iran, both before and after the 1979 Islamic revolution.

Post the revolution, Taghvai faced many difficulties in realising his projects. His 15-episode series Koochak-e-Jangali was put on hold. In 2003, he began work on Bitter Tea, a film set against the backdrop of the Iran-Iraq War; however, the film faced financial difficulties and lack of support.

Blank Paper, which was released in 2001 after a 12-year hiatus, remains Taghvai’s last official release. In 2013, he voiced against the “terrible censorship” of films and literature in Iran and declared he would no longer make films under the state’s control.

The news about Taghvai’s death has come as a shock to the countless fans of the filmmaker from all around the globe.

(With inputs from AFP)