🔗 Share this article Iranian Cinema Giant, Bahram Beyzai, Passes Away Aged 87 Beyzai pictured alongside his spouse, the actress Mozhdeh Shamsai Widespread homages are pouring in for the legendary Bahram Beyzai, a giant of Persian film and stage, who passed away aged 87 while residing in the United States. A Nation Mourns The front pages of Iranian newspapers lament his loss, with opposition voices and those who reflect nostalgically on the pre-revolution period also offering their respects to Beyzai. "His passing is a great loss for the art and culture of our country," remarked the exiled prince, son of the last Shah of Iran. Even though Beyzai's subsequent works were prohibited in the 1980s by the theocratic government, a number of senior figures in the present administration have also paid tribute his contribution to Iranian culture. A Mentor to Filmmakers Many of the current crop of Iranian filmmakers have acknowledged their debt to him. Award-winning director Jaafar Panahi said that Beyzai showed them "the way to resist oblivion." Beyzai steered clear of overtly political content in his work, both as a dramatist and a cinematic auteur, and always maintained he tried not to deal in explicit commentary. But his oeuvre over countless years sets historical, even mythic figures in conflict with authoritarian religious and political systems. A Cultural Foundation Hailing from a lineage of renowned poets, Beyzai was steeped in the richest heritage of Iranian artistry from birth. He first rose to prominence as a theater writer, inspired by ancient myths and ceremonies. A devotee of cinema, he moved into making films in the 1970s. He gained acclaim as one of the pivotal artists in the new wave of Persian film. An Enduring Voice His most fruitful era spanned the time of the Shah and then the revolutionary government that deposed him—with each regime ever ready to detect subtext that could be seen as criticism. "Beyzai never opted for the easy way. He endured years of marginalization, imposed silence, and distance, but he did not give up his artistic voice and his beliefs," stated Jaafar Panahi in his tribute. A Masterpiece Amidst Conflict A few years after the Iranian Revolution, he produced what many consider his magnum opus, Bashu, the Little Stranger, about a young child 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 film critics as the best Iranian film of all time. The film was screened in a restored version at this year's Venice Film Festival, receiving 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 taught Iranian culture. Even after he left his homeland, his wife, the actress Mozhdeh Shamsai, said just the sound of the word "Iran" would still bring tears to his eyes—and he continued to hope for a renewed spirit and tomorrow for his homeland.