Masters of the Apocalypse: Béla Tarr and László Krasznahorkai Meet in Arter’s Boiler Room

Imagine the ceaseless wind echoing off Berlin’s gray walls, the misty unease along London’s Thames embankment, and the melancholic chaos lying in wait around every corner in Istanbul. Some stories belong not to a single city, but to the very end of existence itself. This week at No-26, the Boiler Room is running especially hot—not to warm us, but to bear witness to one of the darkest, heaviest, and most mesmerizing “apocalypses” in cinema history. Arter is hosting the cinematic philosopher Béla Tarr and his kindred spirit in words—the freshly Nobel-laureated László Krasznahorkai—from February 25 to March 1. This program, which serves as a tribute to Tarr’s sacred memory following his passing last month, is set to leave a profound mark on the lowest floor of our building.

Black-and-White Mourning in the Boiler Room: Béla Tarr’s Legacy

From our building’s boiler room this time rises not smoke, but the endless mud and wind of the Hungarian steppe. Béla Tarr—who left the world last month—was not merely a director; he was an alchemist capable of bending time itself. Curated by Azize Tan, the program “Masters of the Apocalypse” brings Tarr’s monumental oeuvre—created before his retirement from cinema—and his radically transformative vision to the Sevgi Gönül Auditorium.

This selection lays bare how Tarr’s visual poetry in cinema merged with László Krasznahorkai’s apocalyptic, horror-filled sentences—the recipient of the 2025 Nobel Prize in Literature. Their collaboration remains one of the most organic and shattering partnerships in the history of cinema.

A Nobel Voice from the Attic: Krasznahorkai’s Literature

When you climb to our building’s Attic Floor, one name dominates the shelves these days: László Krasznahorkai. The Nobel Committee’s visionary recognition of art’s power honors the writer who was the hidden architect of Tarr’s films. The screenings of Satantango and Werckmeister Harmonies (The Melancholy of Resistance) provide the most tangible proof that literature did not merely supply subject matter to cinema—it breathed a soul into it.

Whether it’s the in-depth conversation between Reha Erdem and Azize Tan on February 25, or the literature-focused talk by Didem Bayındır and Ömer Oyal on March 1, both offer unique opportunities to understand why Krasznahorkai’s long, breathtaking sentences earned the Nobel.

A Five-Day Marathon: Program Schedule and Screenings

With tickets available from Arter’s ground-floor desk or digital platforms, prepare for a different tremor each day of this program.

Wednesday, February 25

18:30 – Opening with a profound conversation on cinematic language between Reha Erdem and Azize Tan.

19:30 – The duo’s first major collaboration: Damnation [Kárhozat] (120′) – entry into a rainy, hopeless world.

Thursday, February 26

19:30 – The London Man [A londoni férfi] (139′) – a Simenon adaptation emerging from the fog.

Friday, February 27

19:30 – The unforgettable masterpiece Werckmeister Harmonies [Werckmeister Harmóniák] (145′) – when the balance of a town is shattered by the arrival of a mysterious giant whale carcass.

Saturday, February 28

16:00 – Béla Tarr’s farewell to cinema: The Turin Horse [A torinói ló] (146′).

19:00 – Post-screening talk by Fatih Özgüven on the film’s ontological weight.

Sunday, March 1

13:00 – Conversation on Krasznahorkai’s literature.

14:30 – The legendary closing: Satantango [Sátántangó] (439′) – over seven hours of immersion.

Notes for Apartment Residents

All films will be screened with English and Turkish subtitles. Purchasing a combo ticket also grants access to Arter’s current exhibitions.

We admit the air on this floor feels heavy—but as Béla Tarr once said, “The world is already like this; we only look at it.” You will not find another place where the apocalypse is told with such elegance.

All program details and session information are available at the Arter website. The heat rising in the Boiler Room will reach its peak by the end of March!