Iranian Cinema Giant, Bahram Beyzai, Dies At the Age of 87

Widespread homages are pouring in for Bahram Beyzai, a giant of Iranian cinema and theatre, who passed away aged 87 while residing in the United States.

A Nation Mourns

The front pages of publications in Iran lament his loss, with opposition voices and those who look back fondly on the pre-revolution period also offering their respects to Beyzai.

"His passing is an immense tragedy for the art and culture of our country," remarked Prince Reza Pahlavi, son of the last Shah of Iran.

Although Beyzai's later films were prohibited in the 1980s by the Islamic regime, a host of senior figures in the present administration have also paid tribute his legacy to Persian arts.

A Mentor to Filmmakers

Many of the contemporary generation of Persian directors have acknowledged their debt to him. Award-winning director Jaafar Panahi said that Beyzai taught them "the way to resist oblivion."

Beyzai avoided overtly political content in his work, both as a dramatist and a film director, and always said he tried not to trade in explicit commentary.

But his work over countless years sets archetypal characters in conflict with authoritarian structures of power.

Roots in Tradition

From a family of celebrated poets, Beyzai was imbued in the richest heritage of Iranian artistry from birth.

He first found fame as a theater writer, inspired by Persian legend and ritual.

A devotee of cinema, he transitioned to filmmaking in the 1970s.

He gained acclaim as one of the key figures in the new wave of Persian film.

Navigating Censorship

His most productive period straddled the time of the Shah and then the Islamic theocratic forces that overthrew him—with each regime constantly poised to detect hidden messages that could be interpreted as dissent.

"Beyzai did not choose the path of least resistance. He withstood years of marginalization, imposed silence, and distance, but he did not give up his artistic voice and his beliefs," stated the filmmaker in his tribute.

A Masterpiece Amidst Conflict

A few years after the Iranian Revolution, he produced what many regard as 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 voted by film critics as the greatest Iranian film of all time.

The film was shown in a newly remastered print at this year's Venice Film Festival, winning an award for best film 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 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.