🔗 Share this article Persian Cinema Giant, Beyzai, Passes Away At the Age of 87 Bahram Beyzai (left) with his wife, actress Mozhdeh Shamsai Profound homages are pouring in for Bahram Beyzai, a giant of Iranian cinema and theatre, who passed away aged 87 in the US. Homeland in Mourning The front pages of publications in Iran mourn his loss, with opposition voices and those who reflect nostalgically on the Shah era also paying homage to Beyzai. "His passing is a great loss for the cultural heritage of our country," remarked Prince Reza Pahlavi, son of the last Shah of Iran. Although Beyzai's subsequent works were banned in the 1980s by the theocratic government, a number of prominent officials in the current government have also acknowledged his contribution to Iranian culture. A Mentor to Filmmakers Several of the contemporary generation of Iranian filmmakers have expressed their gratitude to him. Jaafar Panahi noted that Beyzai taught them "how to stand up to oblivion." Beyzai steered clear of overtly political content in his work, both as a dramatist and a film director, and always maintained he tried not to deal in explicit commentary. But his work over many decades places historical, even mythic figures in opposition with oppressive structures of power. Roots in Tradition From a family of celebrated poets, Beyzai was steeped in the richest heritage of Persian culture from birth. He first found fame as a playwright, drawing on ancient myths and ceremonies. 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. Navigating Censorship His most fruitful era spanned the time of the Shah and then the Islamic theocratic forces that overthrew him—with each regime constantly poised to sniff out hidden messages that could be interpreted as criticism. "Beyzai did not choose the path of least resistance. He endured years of marginalization, imposed silence, and distance, but he never abandoned 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 find shelter from the Iran-Iraq war. It was censored in Iran—as were subsequent works he made in that time—but later chosen by film critics as the best Iranian film of all time. The film was screened in a newly remastered print at this year's Venice Film Festival, receiving an award for outstanding feature in the classics section. A Hopeful Exile Beyzai ultimately departed Iran in 2010 and spent his later years in the US, where he lectured on Persian studies. Even after 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 future for his homeland.