Hungarian Director Béla Tarr, Known For Darkly Comic Films, Dies At 70

Hungarian filmmaker Béla Tarr, known for films like Sátántangó and The Turin Horse, has died at 70.

BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — The Hungarian filmmaker Béla Tarr, director of such works as Sátántangó and The Turin Horse and the recipient of numerous awards for his long and often darkly comic films, has died at 70.

During a career spanning more than four decades, Tarr’s films were awarded prizes at festivals around Europe and Asia, and he received honorary professorships at universities in China.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Hungarian Filmmakers’ Association confirmed Tarr’s death, writing that “with deep sorrow we announce that, after a long and serious illness, film director Béla Tarr passed away early this morning.”

Tarr’s films, the longest of which, Sátántangó, clocks in at 439 minutes, were often shot in black and white and used stark imagery to depict despair and social decay.

Defined by long, hypnotic takes, Tarr’s filmmaking came to an end after he released The Turin Horse in 2011 and announced he was retiring from making feature films.