BIUFF Pays Tribute to the Legacy of Nasser Taghvai, Internationally Acclaimed Filmmaker and Symbol of Resistance Against Censorship

The Berlin International Underground Film Festival (BIUFF) is deeply saddened by the passing of Nasser Taghvai, the great Iranian director and a prominent figure in world cinema. Taghvai, whose works were acclaimed at prestigious festivals such as Locarno and Cannes, passed away today at the age of 84.

Nasser Taghvai was an auteur filmmaker with a unique voice who brought Iranian cinema to the global stage. His film "Captain Khorshid" (1986), a brilliant adaptation of Hemingway's "To Have and Have Not," earned him the Bronze Leopard at the Locarno Film Festival. He was also nominated for the Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival for the film "Tales of Kish" (1999). These achievements solidified his status as a master of cinema on an international level.

But Taghvai's legacy extends beyond his awards. He was the symbol of an artist who, at the height of his professional acclaim, chose silence to defend freedom of expression. In the final decades of his life, he refused to make films in order not to submit to censorship, and with this choice, he himself became a powerful statement in defense of artistic authenticity.

Amir Morsali, founder of BIUFF, stated, "Nasser Taghvai showed the world that sometimes an artist's most powerful act is their silence. By not making films, he defended cinema more than many other filmmakers. Our festival's philosophy and its '4U' Grand Prize—founded on the four principles of Uncensored, Uncompromising, Unconventional, and Unbound—are a tribute to this very global legacy."

BIUFF is committed to discovering and supporting filmmakers around the world who, like Nasser Taghvai, remain true to their unique vision, even if the price is silence. His memory as a hero of independent cinema will be cherished forever.

About BIUFF: The Berlin International Underground Film Festival (BIUFF) is a global platform and cultural movement based in Berlin, dedicated to the discovery, celebration, and support of independent, defiant, and uncensored cinema.