Remembering Dariush Mehrjui,The man who turned a cinema in to a mass choir.

There must be a reason in the Iranian rituals of mourning .The days that are traditionally set to remember a person who has passed away. It is now 40 days since the murder of Dariush Mehrjui and his wife and collaborator Vahideh Mohammadifar. The 40’th is one of those mile stone mourning days. I am finally able to express some of the deep grieve from the loss of my most loved Iranian filmmaker. Many Iranians were in state of shock and grieve after the news came out. From the older generation who lived before revolution and knew his master piece The Cow , to my generation who were born in the turbulent years of after revolution. His films had managed to connect with all walks of life in society within his 40 years of filmmaking. The first Iranian film I saw in cinema was his comedy film The Lodgers (1987). It was a major move on behalf of my dad to want to go to cinema in those years of war and hard life. But I think he could trust Mehrjui. So we went to cinema and watched the amazing comedy which made us laugh our hearts out. I am sure my dad could also read between the lines. How this flimsy nearly falling apart Apartment, resembled the state of the country. We went to cinema 4 times to see this film and each time with a new member of family. This was a record for my dad up to that day. As I grew up, there was always a new Mehrjui film to connect deeply. Film after film his work became a mark of its time. Cult films that were not for a niche audience.

The experience of watching Hamoun(1989) in a retrospective of his films a decade later was a unique cinema experience where every single member of the audience, knew every line from every character of the film. The audience were saying lines synchronized with the characters on the screen. The cinema was turned into a mass choir.

His films with women as central characters, from the young literature student in Pari to Sara, Leila and Banoo, were looking at different aspects of women’s life in a society that was trying to digest the redefinition of women presence in society. A struggle that is still going on.

On the other hand, his films were structurally adventurous, playful and gave a sense of freedom and ease while engaging with deeply rich and complicated human situations.

Beside his filmmaking, he was outspoken. Many of his films have been confiscated and not allowed for screening for many years yet he has made more films that any other filmmaker in Iran.

His murder put many of us in to state of shock. It was hard to make sense of it. There are many speculation and doubts and the hasty reports from the legal system did not bring ease to situation.

While trying to overcome the shock, I was thinking about the deep connection a nation can make with the works of specific artists and how their loss can deeply affect them and create a deep sense of loss. The artists that have helped their nation to make sense of their situation and have brought them face to face with their dilemmas and contradictions. Their loss leaves a void. A hole that can not be filled.

There is sadness about the films that could not be made. But we also have a treasure of films that we will keep looking back to and will be there for generations and generations to come.

At the end, the works are made. You can never really kill what is made even if the maker is gone.

I feel there is much more for me to do to respect and remember Dariush Mehrjui.I will keep on making. That is one thing I can do.

 

The text is taken from D.Mehrjui's novel, For the sake one damn feature film (Be khatere yek film bolande lanaty)

 

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