🔗 Share this article Persian Film Titan, Beyzai, Dies Aged 87 Bahram Beyzai (left) with his wife, actress Mozhdeh Shamsai Widespread tributes have been shared for the legendary Bahram Beyzai, a giant of Persian film and stage, who passed away at the age of 87 while residing in the United States. Homeland in Mourning The front pages of Iranian newspapers lament his loss, with opposition voices and those who look back fondly on the pre-revolution period also paying homage to Beyzai. "His passing is an immense tragedy for the art and culture of our country," said Prince Reza Pahlavi, son of the last Shah of Iran. Even though Beyzai's later films were banned in the 1980s by the Islamic regime, a host of senior figures in the present administration have also acknowledged his contribution to Iranian culture. The Teacher of a Generation Many of the contemporary generation of Iranian filmmakers have acknowledged their debt to him. Award-winning director Jaafar Panahi noted that Beyzai taught them "how to stand up to oblivion." Beyzai avoided direct political references in his work, both as a playwright and a cinematic auteur, and always said he tried not to deal in explicit commentary. But his oeuvre over countless years places archetypal characters in opposition with authoritarian religious and political systems. A Cultural Foundation From a family of renowned poets, Beyzai was steeped in the richest heritage of Persian culture from birth. He first rose to prominence as a playwright, inspired by Persian legend and ritual. A devotee of cinema, he transitioned to filmmaking in the 1970s. He won renown as one of the key figures 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 ever ready to sniff out hidden messages that could be interpreted as dissent. "Beyzai never opted for the easy way. He withstood years of exclusion, enforced quiet, and exile, but he never abandoned his artistic voice and his convictions," said Jaafar Panahi in his tribute. A Masterpiece Amidst Conflict 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 devastating conflict. It was censored 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, winning an award for outstanding feature in the heritage category. A Hopeful Exile Beyzai ultimately departed Iran in 2010 and lived out his final days in the US, where he taught Persian studies. Although he went into exile, his wife, the actress Mozhdeh Shamsai, said just hearing the word "Iran" would still make him emotional—and he remained ever hopeful for a new culture and tomorrow for his native land.