Famed Iranian filmmaker Dariush Mehrjui and his screenwriter wife are found dead with their throats slit inside their home near Tehran by their daughter
The bodies of a famous Iranian filmmaker and his screenwriter wife were discovered with their throats slit by their daughter who had returned to the family home near Tehran.
Dariush Mehrjui (83) and his wife, Vahideh Mohammadifar (54), were found dead on Saturday evening by their daughter, Mona Mehrjui, the eldest of their three children.
The couple was killed in their home in Karaj, Alborz province, a 40-minute drive from Tehran.
The circumstances surrounding their deaths are unknown. The couple was not considered politically controversial.
Police said there were no signs of forced entry and no damage to the doors of their home.
Dariush Mehrjui (83) and his wife, Vahideh Mohammadifar (54), were found dead in their family home on Saturday evening
The couple were discovered with their throats slit by their daughter, Mona Mehrjui (left)
Police say there are no signs of forced entry and motives are unknown, although Mohammadifar made allegations weeks earlier about a threat on social media and a burglary
“During the preliminary investigation, we found that Dariush Mehrjui and his wife, Vahideh Mohammadifar, were killed by multiple stab wounds in the neck,” said Hossein Fazeli-Harikandi, chief judge of Alborz province.
In the weeks before her death, Mohammadifar had complained about a threat made on social media claiming their home had been broken into – but it does not appear she shared these concerns with the authorities.
“The investigation revealed that no complaints were filed regarding the illegal entry of the Mehrjui’s family villa and the theft of their belongings,” said Fazeli-Harikandi.
Mehrjui figured prominently in the Iranian New Wave cinema movement of the seventies and was considered a pioneer in the genre.
New Wave films from this era were characterized by a realistic style and the use of poetic storytelling techniques. They often focused on the rural lower class.
Mehrjui himself comes from a middle-class background in Tehran, where he developed interests in miniature painting, music and playing the piano and santoor, a traditional Iranian instrument.
In the months before the Iranian Revolution of 1979, Mehrjui filmed the revolutionary leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini while he was in exile in France.
Later films centered around middle- and upper-class characters in Tehran as they discussed money, art, and religion.
In Hamoun, a middle-aged intellectual experiences a mental breakdown as his marriage unravels.
One of Mehrjui’s most famous films is The Cow, released in 1969. It centers around a farmer’s love for his cow and anxiety after its death.
The film was produced with funds from the Shah of Iran – but it was quickly banned due to its honest portrayal of rural life.
Mehrjui (right) was an award-winning filmmaker whose work figured prominently in the Iranian New Wave film movement
His 1969 film The Cow is one of his most famous, depicting the life of a poor farmer and his love for his cow.
The film centers around the farmer’s anguish after his beloved animal’s death
Like many New Wave films of the seventies, The Cow focused on the life of the lower class
Although the film was produced with funds from the Shah of Iran, it was quickly banned for its candid portrayal of rural life
Mehrjui won international acclaim for his work, winning a Silver Hugo at the 1998 Chicago International Film Festival and a Golden Seashell at the 1993 San Sebastián International Film Festival.
Vahideh Mohammadifar was a novelist and costume designer who made her mark on the entertainment industry.
She worked closely with her husband, who directed the films she wrote.
Mohammadifar began her screenwriting career in 2000 with Tales of an Island, followed by To Stay Alive in 2002 and Mom’s Guest in 2004.
As her work gained recognition, she was credited for other projects including The Music Man, Beloved Sky, Orange Suit, Good To Be Back, Ghosts and A Minor.
The couple’s death comes at a time when Iran is accused of having some involvement in the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel.
Violence exploded across the region, killing at least 1,400 in Israel and nearly twice as many in Palestine as of Sunday.
Iran has denied involvement, but the country’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, praised the ambush in a televised address on Tuesday.
“We kiss the hands of those who planned the attack on the Zionist regime,” he said. “The Zionist regime’s own actions are to blame for this disaster.”
It is currently unclear whether Iran plans to involve itself in the war.