Persian Cinema Titan, Beyzai, Passes Away At the Age of 87

Widespread homages are pouring in for the legendary Bahram Beyzai, a colossus of Iranian cinema and theatre, who has died aged 87 in the US.

A Nation Mourns

The headlines of Iranian newspapers lament his loss, with dissenting figures and those who look back fondly on the Shah era also offering their respects to Beyzai.

"His passing is a great loss for the cultural heritage of our country," remarked the exiled prince, the exiled son of the last Shah of Iran.

Although Beyzai's later films were banned in the 1980s by the theocratic government, a host of senior figures in the current government have also acknowledged his contribution to Iranian culture.

A Mentor to Filmmakers

Several of the contemporary generation of Persian directors have expressed their gratitude to him. Award-winning director Jaafar Panahi said that Beyzai taught them "how to stand up to oblivion."

Beyzai avoided direct political references in his work, both as a dramatist and a film director, and always maintained he tried not to deal in overt messages.

But his work over many decades sets historical, even mythic figures in conflict with oppressive structures of power.

Roots in Tradition

Hailing from a lineage of renowned poets, Beyzai was imbued in the deepest traditions of Persian culture from birth.

He first found fame as a playwright, drawing on Persian legend and ritual.

A lifelong fan of cinema, he transitioned to making films in the 1970s.

He won renown as one of the pivotal artists in the new wave of Iranian cinema.

An Enduring Voice

His most productive period spanned the time of the Shah and then the Islamic theocratic forces that deposed him—with both systems ever ready to sniff out hidden messages that could be interpreted as criticism.

"Beyzai did not choose the easy way. He withstood years of exclusion, enforced quiet, and exile, but he did not give up his language and his beliefs," said the filmmaker in his tribute.

The Little Stranger

A few years after the 1979 Revolution, he produced what many regard as his magnum opus, Bashu, the Little Stranger, about a young child who tries to take refuge from the Iran-Iraq war.

It was banned in Iran—as were subsequent works he made in that period—but later chosen by film critics as the greatest Iranian film of all time.

The film was shown in a restored version at this year's Venice Biennale, receiving an award for best film in the heritage category.

Final Years in Exile

Beyzai ultimately departed Iran in 2010 and spent his later years in the US, where he taught Persian studies.

Although he went into exile, his wife, the actress Mozhdeh Shamsai, said just the sound of the word "Iran" would still make him emotional—and he continued to hope for a renewed spirit and tomorrow for his native land.