Honoring the Legacy: A Tribute to Dariush Mehrjui
Moments from a moving tribute weekend to legendary filmmaker Dariush Mehrjui at the 2025 UCLA Celebration of Iranian Cinema, presented by UCLA Film & Television Archive and Farhang Foundation. We were honored by the presence of special guests, Academy Award-nominated actress Shohreh Aghdashloo, and Maryam Mehrjui and Safa Mehrjui, daughter and son of the late maestro. Audiences revisited some of Mehrjui's most celebrated films, including Leila (1997), Hamoon (1990), and The Pear Tree (1998). A visionary filmmaker who studied cinema and philosophy at UCLA, Dariush Mehrjui returned to Iran in the late 1960s, profoundly shaping Iranian cinema. His groundbreaking second feature, The Cow, is acclaimed for sparking the Iranian New Wave. Throughout his storied five-decade career, Mehrjui courageously confronted censorship and oppression, illuminating the human spirit with deep empathy, intelligence, and poetic beauty. This two-evening tribute on June 28 and 29 celebrated Mehrjui's enduring legacy and his powerful artistic voice, which continues to resonate profoundly around the world.
All photography by Vafa Khatami
