Hungarian filmmaker Bela Tarr dies at 70

Bela Tarr, the iconic Hungarian filmmaker has died at the age of 70. 

Association of Hungarian Film Artists said they confirmed with sorrow that Tarr had died after a "long and serious illness".

He was born in 1955 in Pecs and began his career as an amateur filmmaker at 16, later working at the Balazs Bela Studio, a significant producer of experimental films, where he made his first feature film, The Family Nest, exploring societal issues in 1977.

Tarr went on to direct several landmark films, including Damnation (1988) and The Prefab People (1982), which depicted themes of human fragility and social decay. His distinct cinematic style—defined by unbroken takes and stark depictions of existential despair—gained widespread recognition with the 1994 epic Sátántangó, a seven-and-a-half-hour masterpiece often cited as one of the greatest films of the 20th century.

Other acclaimed works include Werckmeister Harmonies (2000) and The Turin Horse (2011), the latter winning the Jury Prize at the Berlin International Film Festival and serving as Tarr's final film.

Production: Malgorzata Wojtunik, Claire Watson/Reuters