On 6 January 2026, a shock for the film world Béla Tarr the death of a Hungarian film director. A Hungarian filmmaker with a unique vision, he inspired generations of filmmakers and made his mark on universal film history. But fewer people know that beyond the Western world, especially in China, he was held in extraordinary esteem and a living cult - it is no coincidence that many have called him „the last film master of the 20th century”.
His first visit to China took place in 2016, which I actively initiated and organised as a recent student at the Beijing Film Academy. One of the university's leading professors had been a devoted fan of Béla Tarr's work for many years; I still feel it vividly, as he passionately stated in a lecture: „The Turin Horse” will not be surpassed for the next fifty years.
The visit ended up being one of the highlight film events of the year in China. The director's entire oeuvre was screened on film reels, and the main event attracted journalists, filmmakers, researchers, students and academics from thousands of kilometres away to Beijing. In the university's 800-seat screening room, people even sat and stood on the stairs to „The Turin Horse” to see the director in person after the screening.
Nine years later, last year, I was again able to help Béla Tarr participate as Hungarian jury president in a featured section of the Beijing International Film Festival, and to start a longer-term collaboration with a Chinese art university. Although these plans may no longer be realised, there will be several film events in China in 2026 that will pay tribute to the master's work - proving that his influence has transcended geographical and cultural boundaries.
