TEHRAN – Still photographer and photojournalist Babak Borzuyeh died at the age of 53 on Tuesday almost eight months after falling into a coma following a massive brain hemorrhage, Persian news media reported. 

“With great sadness, it is announced that our dear Babak Borzuyeh surrendered to the divine destiny,” his family wrote in a short message published by the Persian news media.

Earlier in autumn 2017, Borzuyeh, who was the son of the eminent brain surgeon Farzin Borzuyeh, slipped into a coma after a brain hemorrhage. However, he came out of the coma following prompt medical treatment.

He studied photography at the University of Tehran and also received a BA in acting and film directing from Azad University.

He worked for several local news agencies, including Mehr and Fars, and his photos have been published in the Tehran Times and other Iranian dailies.

As a still photographer, he also collaborated on a total of over 300 film, theater and TV projects.

His work for director Rasul Mollaqolipur’s 1996 acclaimed war drama “Journey to Chazzabeh” brought him the Crystal Simorgh for best still photographer of the Fajr Film Festival. 

Mollaqolipur also hired Borzuyeh for his subsequent films, “Hiva” and “Poisonous Mushroom”.

Borzuyeh had made a cameo appearance in Dariush Mehrjui’s 1980 movie “The School We Went to”.

Burzuyeh’s skills in still photography convinced outstanding filmmakers such as Ziaeddin Dorri, Puran Derkhshandeh, Masud Kimiai and Ahmadreza Darvish to work with him.

Burzuyeh was the curator of “Wind and Leaf”, an exhibition organized at Gallery 21 in Paris in November 2019 to commemorate the legendary Iranian filmmaker and photographer, Abbas Kiarostami.

The exhibition showcased a collection built by a group of Iranian photographers inspired by poems from Kiarostami’s book, “Wind and Leaf”.

He is survived by his wife Nezal Shahtalai, his son Bradia and daughter Paria.

Photo: Photographer Babak Borzuyeh in an undated photo. 

MMS/YAW