Iranian Cinema Titan, Beyzai, Passes Away Aged 87

Widespread homages are pouring in for Bahram Beyzai, a giant of Iranian cinema and theatre, who has died aged 87 in the US.

Homeland in Mourning

The headlines of publications in Iran lament his loss, with opposition voices and those who look back fondly on the Shah era 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.

Although Beyzai's subsequent works were banned in the 1980s by the theocratic government, a host of senior figures in the present administration have also acknowledged his contribution to Persian arts.

The Teacher of a Generation

Several of the current crop of Iranian filmmakers have acknowledged their debt to him. Jaafar Panahi noted that Beyzai showed them "the way to resist oblivion."

Beyzai avoided overtly political content in his work, both as a dramatist and a cinematic auteur, and always said he tried not to deal in explicit commentary.

But his oeuvre over countless years places historical, even mythic figures in conflict with authoritarian structures of power.

Roots in Tradition

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

He first found fame as a theater writer, drawing on ancient myths and ceremonies.

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

He won renown as one of the key figures in the groundbreaking movement of Persian film.

Navigating Censorship

His most fruitful era straddled the time of the Shah and then the Islamic theocratic forces that overthrew him—with each regime ever ready to sniff out hidden messages that could be interpreted as dissent.

"Beyzai never opted for the easy way. He withstood years of marginalization, imposed silence, and exile, but he did not give up his language and his convictions," stated the filmmaker 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 small boy who tries to take refuge from the devastating conflict.

It was censored in Iran—as were other films he made in that period—but later chosen by film critics as the best 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 outstanding feature in the heritage category.

A Hopeful Exile

Beyzai finally left Iran in 2010 and lived out his final days in the US, where he taught Persian studies.

Although he went into exile, his wife, the actress Mozhdeh Shamsai, said just the sound of the word "Iran" would still make him emotional—and he continued to hope for a new culture and future for his native land.