🔗 Share this article Persian Cinema Titan, Bahram Beyzai, Dies At the Age of 87 Beyzai pictured alongside his spouse, the actress Mozhdeh Shamsai Widespread homages are pouring in for the legendary Bahram Beyzai, a giant of Iranian cinema and theatre, who has died aged 87 while residing in the United States. Homeland in Mourning The front pages of Iranian newspapers mourn his loss, with dissenting figures and those who look back fondly on the Shah era also paying homage to Beyzai. "His passing is a great loss for the art and culture of our country," said Prince Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the last Shah of Iran. Even though Beyzai's subsequent works were banned in the 1980s by the Islamic regime, 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 Persian directors have acknowledged their debt to him. Jaafar Panahi said that Beyzai taught them "the way to resist oblivion." Beyzai avoided overtly political content in his work, both as a playwright and a film director, and always maintained he tried not to trade in overt messages. 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 steeped in the richest heritage of Iranian artistry from birth. He first rose to prominence as a playwright, drawing on ancient myths and ceremonies. A devotee of cinema, he moved into making films in the 1970s. He won renown as one of the pivotal artists in the groundbreaking movement of Persian film. Navigating Censorship His most fruitful era spanned the time of the Shah and then the Islamic theocratic forces that overthrew him—with each regime ever ready to detect hidden messages that could be seen as criticism. "Beyzai did not choose the easy way. He endured years of marginalization, enforced quiet, and exile, but he did not give up his artistic voice and his beliefs," said Jaafar Panahi in his tribute. A Masterpiece Amidst Conflict A few years after the Iranian Revolution, he produced what many regard as his magnum opus, Bashu, the Little Stranger, about a small boy who tries to find shelter from the devastating conflict. 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 shown in a restored version at this year's Venice Biennale, winning an award for best film 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. Even after he went into exile, his wife, the actress Mozhdeh Shamsai, said just hearing the word "Iran" would still bring tears to his eyes—and he continued to hope for a renewed spirit and tomorrow for his homeland.