Hungarian auteur Béla Tarr, visionary of bleak cinema, dies after long illness

The European Film Academy announced that the legendary Hungarian filmmaker has passed away, his death confirmed early in the morning after a prolonged and serious illness. Tarr, whose films lingered in the shadows of desolation and whispered of an apocalyptic world, left an indelible imprint on cinema with works that unfolded like slow, hypnotic prayers. From the relentless melancholy of his early masterpieces to the monumental, nine-hour pilgrimage of his later opus, his relentless pursuit of visual poetry reshaped how stories could be told on screen. Colleagues and admirers gathered to recall his uncompromising vision, noting how his stark, monochrome frames and lingering takes turned ordinary moments into profound meditations on human existence. Though his voice has gone silent, the echo of his austere, haunting landscapes will continue to haunt and inspire generations of filmmakers and audiences alike.