Béla Tarr's filmmaking will be celebrated in March at Sõpruse cinema and Tartu Elektriteater with screenings of three of his films following his passing on January 6.
Following the passing of Hungarian director Béla Tarr on January 6, a celebration of his work will take place in Estonia during March. Sõpruse cinema in Tallinn and Tartu Elektriteater will screen three of his notable films: "Damnation," "Satan's Tango," and "The Turin Horse." Tarr's contribution to cinema, particularly in collaboration with writer László Krasznahorkai—who won the Nobel Prize in Literature last year—will be highlighted during this tribute.
Tarr's career began with the release of "Damnation" in 1988, marking the start of a fruitful partnership with Krasznahorkai. This collaboration led to the creation of several significant films including "Satan's Tango" (1994), "Werckmeister Harmonies" (2000), "The Man from London" (2007), and finally "The Turin Horse" (2011), which remains his last feature film. The retrospective will not only celebrate Tarr’s cinematic achievements but will also shed light on the thematic evolution of his work.
According to Rasmus Rääg, the program director of Elektriteater, Tarr's filmmaking evolved over time from a documentary-like social realism towards a more conceptual and formally rigorous art. This transformation is characterized by his signature long, static shots, sparse dialogue, and exploration of the deepest layers of human existence, making his work both unique and impactful in the landscape of European cinema.
