🔗 Share this article Iranian Film Titan, Beyzai, Passes Away At the Age of 87 Bahram Beyzai (left) with his wife, actress Mozhdeh Shamsai Widespread tributes have been shared for Bahram Beyzai, a giant of Persian film and stage, who has died aged 87 in the US. A Nation Mourns The front pages of publications in Iran lament his loss, with opposition voices and those who reflect nostalgically on the Shah era also offering their respects to Beyzai. "This loss is a great loss for the cultural heritage of our country," remarked Prince Reza Pahlavi, son of the last Shah of Iran. Even though Beyzai's later films were prohibited in the 1980s by the Islamic regime, a number of prominent officials in the present administration have also paid tribute his legacy to Persian arts. The Teacher of a Generation Many of the current crop of Iranian filmmakers have acknowledged their debt to him. Award-winning director Jaafar Panahi said that Beyzai showed them "how to stand up to oblivion." Beyzai steered clear of direct political references in his work, both as a dramatist and a film director, and always said he tried not to deal in explicit commentary. But his oeuvre over many decades sets archetypal characters in conflict with oppressive religious and political systems. Roots in Tradition Hailing from a lineage of celebrated poets, Beyzai was imbued in the deepest traditions of Iranian artistry from birth. He first rose to prominence as a playwright, drawing on ancient myths and ceremonies. A lifelong fan of cinema, he transitioned to filmmaking in the 1970s. He gained acclaim as one of the pivotal artists in the new wave of Iranian cinema. Navigating Censorship His most fruitful era straddled the time of the Shah and then the Islamic theocratic forces that deposed him—with each regime constantly poised to detect subtext that could be seen as dissent. "Beyzai never opted for the easy way. He endured years of exclusion, enforced quiet, and distance, but he did not give up his artistic voice and his convictions," said Jaafar Panahi in his tribute. The Little Stranger A few years after the Iranian Revolution, he produced what many consider his masterpiece, Bashu, the Little Stranger, about a small boy who tries to take refuge from the Iran-Iraq war. It was banned in Iran—as were other films he made in that time—but later voted 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 outstanding feature in the classics section. Final Years in Exile Beyzai finally left Iran in 2010 and spent his later years in the US, where he lectured on Iranian culture. Although he left his homeland, his wife, the actress Shamsai, said just hearing the word "Iran" would still make him emotional—and he remained ever hopeful for a new culture and future for his native land.