Iranian Film Director Dariush Mehrjui and Wife Found Dead in Their Home
In a tragic turn of events, renowned Iranian film director Dariush Mehrjui and his wife, Vahideh Mohammadifar, were brutally stabbed to death in their home. The shocking incident was reported by state media on Sunday.
According to the official IRNA news agency, judiciary official Hossein Fazeli stated that Mehrjui and Mohammadifar were discovered lifeless with knife wounds in their necks. The couple’s daughter, Mona Mehrjui, made the horrifying discovery when she visited her father on Saturday night in their home, located in a suburb west of Tehran.
Authorities are currently investigating the case, but have not yet provided any speculation on a possible motive. However, it was revealed that Mohammadifar had recently expressed concerns about a knife threat on social media in the weeks leading up to the incident.
Dariush Mehrjui, aged 83, was widely recognized as one of the co-founders of Iran’s film new wave during the early 1970s. His work centered around realism and garnered him numerous accolades, including a Silver Hugo from the Chicago International Film Festival in 1998 and a Golden Seashell at the San Sebastián International Film Festival in 1993. The director had also studied in the cinema program at the University of California, Los Angeles in the 1960s.
The tragic deaths of Dariush Mehrjui and his wife have shocked the Iranian film community and the nation as a whole. Further updates and details regarding the investigation are awaited as the authorities strive to bring justice for this horrific crime.
Image: Iranian film director Dariush Mehrjui and his wife Vahideh Mohammadifar attend a film directors’ meeting in Tehran, Iran. (Abdolvahed Mirzazadeh / AP)