Béla Tarr, Hungarian director of Sátántangó and Werckmeister Harmonies, dies aged 70

Béla Tarr, the Hungarian filmmaker known for long, formally spare works such as Sátántangó and Werckmeister Harmonies, has died aged 70 after a long illness, the Hungarian Film Artists Association said. The association said the grieving family asked not to be contacted.

Béla Tarr, the Hungarian film-maker noted for long, formally rigorous black-and-white films, has died at the age of 70. The Hungarian Film Artists Association announced his death and said it followed "a long and serious illness." The statement also said the grieving family asked for privacy and requested not to be contacted. Tarr made internationally known films including the seven-and-a-half-hour Sátántangó and Werckmeister Harmonies, and he stepped back from directing in 2011 before working as a producer and teacher. Key facts: - The Hungarian Film Artists Association announced Tarr died "after a long and serious illness" and said the family asked not to be contacted. - He was 70 years old at the time of his death. - Tarr was best known for lengthy, slow-moving black-and-white films such as Sátántangó (about seven-and-a-half hours) and Werckmeister Harmonies, often made with collaborator Ágnes Hranitzky. - He retired from directing in 2011; his final film was The Turin Horse and he later founded the film.factory school in Sarajevo in 2013. Summary: Officials announced that Béla Tarr died after a long and serious illness and that his family has requested privacy. Undetermined at this time.