THE POWER OF SLOWNESS IN AGE OF NOISE

The celebrated Hungarian director of 'Satantango' and 'The Turin Horse' passes away at 70

- ANINDITA ACHARYA

In the age of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and 30-second reels, many may find Bela Tarr to be a slow filmmaker.

But slowness was intrinsic to his cinema. It was the very essence of his cinema. His long, languid pacing, stunning black-and-white visuals, meticulously choreographed shots and immersive ambient sound came together to create works that asked you to slow down and stay. On Tuesday, the legendary Hungarian filmmaker passed away at the age of 70 after battling a long illness.

Over a career spanning several decades, Tarr wrote and directed nine feature films, beginning with 'Family Nest' in 1979 and concluding with 'The Turin Horse' in 2011. In 'The Turin Horse,' the austere filmmaker used mundanity and repetition in everyday life to explore profound philosophical themes of existence, suffering and the end of the world. The film won the Silver Bear Jury Grand Prize at the Berlin International Film Festival that year.