Filmmaker Dariush Mehrjuii blames Tehran’s air pollution for his sister’s death

TEHRAN,Dec.4(MNA) – The celebrated filmmaker Dariush Mehrjuii has blamed Tehran’s air pollution for the death of his set designer sister Jila. Jila Mehrjuii, the set designer of the acclaimed films “Smell of Camphor, Fragrance of Jasmine” and “A House Built on Water”, died at the age of 68 on Friday. She was suffering from heart disease. She underwent surgery at a Tehran hospital, but she died as a result of low blood pressure, the Persian media announced. Speaking at the memorial ceremony held for Jila in the Iranian Artists Forum on Sunday, Mehrjuii said with regrets, “This air pollution is killing every individual. All my friends are suffering from cancer. (Actor) Ezzatollah Entezami is in the CCU due to respiratory problems.” Tears streaming down his face on seeing several photos of his sister on a slideshow, he continued, “I am very angry; Jila was very talented. I had not seen these photos of her before. What makes me more furious is to know what really killed Jila?” Addressing Iran’s Environmental Protection Organization (EPO) Director Masumeh Ebtekar, he said, “How many words, words, words. We had a 2500-year-old civilization and the world’s largest empire was in our hands, why are we like this now?” “(EPO) director must give me the answer not just in words. Dear mayor do something, everybody is dying,” he added with regrets. Leila Hatami, Niki Karimi, Ali Mosaffa, Gohar Kheirandish, Mahtab Keramati, Masud Rayegan, Pegah Ahangarani, Homayun Ershadi and Mani Haqiqi were among the cineastes who attended the ceremony. Jila had collaborated with his brother in “The Cycle”, “The Tenants”, “Hamun”, “Banu”, “Sara” and “Leila”. She was honored with two Crystal Simorghs for her work in Bahman Farmanara’s acclaimed films “Smell of Camphor, Fragrance of Jasmine” in 1999 and “A House Built on Water” in 2002. She was buried in the main cemetery of Taleqan, a town located about 135 kilometers northwest of Tehran.