🔗 Share this article Iranian Cinema Titan, Beyzai, Passes Away 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 aged 87 while residing in the United States. Homeland in Mourning The headlines of Iranian newspapers mourn his loss, with dissenting figures and those who reflect nostalgically on the pre-revolution period also paying homage to Beyzai. "His passing is an immense tragedy for the cultural heritage of our country," remarked Prince Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the last Shah of Iran. Even though Beyzai's later films were banned in the 1980s by the theocratic government, a host of prominent officials in the present administration have also acknowledged his contribution to Iranian culture. The Teacher of a Generation Many of the current crop of Persian directors have expressed their gratitude to him. Jaafar Panahi said that Beyzai showed them "how to stand up to oblivion." Beyzai avoided direct political references in his work, both as a playwright and a film director, and always maintained he tried not to trade in explicit commentary. But his work over countless years sets historical, even mythic figures in conflict with oppressive structures of power. Roots in Tradition Hailing from a lineage of celebrated poets, Beyzai was imbued in the richest heritage of Persian culture from birth. He first found fame as a theater writer, inspired by ancient myths and ceremonies. A lifelong fan of cinema, he moved into filmmaking in the 1970s. He won renown as one of the pivotal artists in the groundbreaking movement of Iranian cinema. Navigating Censorship His most fruitful era straddled the time of the Shah and then the Islamic theocratic forces that overthrew him—with both systems constantly poised to detect subtext that could be seen as dissent. "Beyzai did not choose the easy way. He withstood years of exclusion, enforced quiet, and exile, but he never abandoned his artistic voice and his beliefs," stated Jaafar Panahi in his tribute. A Masterpiece Amidst Conflict A few years after the 1979 Revolution, he produced what many consider his magnum opus, Bashu, the Little Stranger, about a small boy who tries to take refuge from the Iran-Iraq war. It was censored in Iran—as were subsequent works he made in that time—but later voted by critics as the greatest Iranian film of all time. The film was shown in a restored version at this year's Venice Film Festival, receiving an award for outstanding feature in the classics section. A Hopeful Exile Beyzai finally left 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 Shamsai, said just the sound of the word "Iran" would still bring tears to his eyes—and he remained ever hopeful for a new culture and future for his native land.