🔗 Share this article Iranian Cinema Titan, Bahram Beyzai, Dies Aged 87 Beyzai pictured alongside his spouse, the actress Mozhdeh Shamsai Profound homages are pouring in for the legendary Bahram Beyzai, a colossus of Iranian cinema and theatre, who passed away at the age of 87 while residing in the United States. Homeland in Mourning The headlines of publications in Iran mourn his loss, with opposition voices and those who reflect nostalgically on the Shah era also paying homage to Beyzai. "This loss is an immense tragedy for the art and culture of our country," remarked the exiled prince, the exiled 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 prominent officials in the present administration have also acknowledged his legacy to Persian arts. A Mentor to Filmmakers Several of the current crop of Persian directors have acknowledged their debt to him. Jaafar Panahi said that Beyzai showed them "how to stand up to oblivion." Beyzai steered clear of overtly political content in his work, both as a dramatist and a cinematic auteur, and always said he tried not to trade in explicit commentary. But his oeuvre over countless years places archetypal characters in opposition with oppressive religious and political systems. Roots in Tradition From a family of renowned poets, Beyzai was imbued in the deepest traditions 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 making films in the 1970s. He won renown as one of the pivotal artists in the new wave of Persian film. Navigating Censorship His most productive period spanned the time of the Shah and then the Islamic theocratic forces that overthrew him—with each regime ever ready to detect hidden messages that could be interpreted as criticism. "Beyzai never opted for the path of least resistance. He withstood years of exclusion, enforced quiet, and exile, but he never abandoned his language and his beliefs," 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 young child who tries to find shelter from the Iran-Iraq war. It was censored in Iran—as were other films he made in that time—but later chosen by critics as the best Iranian film of all time. The film was screened in a restored version at this year's Venice Biennale, receiving an award for best film in the classics section. A Hopeful 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 Mozhdeh Shamsai, said just the sound of the word "Iran" would still make him emotional—and he remained ever hopeful for a new culture and future for his native land.