His wife, Marzieh Vafamehr, announced his death in a post on Facebook, writing: “Nasser Taghvai, the artist who chose the hardship of living freely, has been set free. He loved plants, let us plant a tree in his memory. He loved light, let us add our candle to his. He loved literature, let us read in his memory. He loved cinema, let us watch in his memory.”
Born in 1941 in Abadan, southern Iran, Taghvai was regarded as one of Iran’s most influential auteur filmmakers.
Before the 1979 Revolution, he directed acclaimed works such as Calm in the Presence of Others (1969), Killer Sadegh (1971), and The Curse (1973), along with the widely beloved TV series My Uncle Napoleon (1976).
After the Revolution, Taghvai created the celebrated Captain Khorshid (1986), which won the Bronze Leopard at the Locarno Film Festival. His later films included Oh Iran (1989) and Paper Without Lines (2001).
Taghvai leaves behind a lasting legacy in Iranian cinema and culture.
