🔗 Share this article Persian Film Titan, Bahram Beyzai, Passes Away Aged 87 Bahram Beyzai (left) with his wife, actress Mozhdeh Shamsai Widespread homages have been shared for the legendary Bahram Beyzai, a colossus of Persian film and stage, who has died at the age of 87 while residing in the United States. A Nation Mourns The front pages 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 a great loss for the art and culture of our country," said Prince Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the last Shah of Iran. Although Beyzai's subsequent works were banned in the 1980s by the Islamic regime, a host of prominent officials in the current government have also acknowledged his legacy to Iranian culture. The Teacher of a Generation Several of the current crop of Persian directors have acknowledged their debt to him. Award-winning director Jaafar Panahi noted that Beyzai taught them "how to stand up to oblivion." Beyzai steered clear of overtly political content in his work, both as a dramatist and a film director, and always said he tried not to deal in explicit commentary. But his oeuvre over countless years places archetypal characters in conflict with authoritarian structures of power. A Cultural Foundation Hailing from a lineage of celebrated poets, Beyzai was steeped in the deepest traditions of Iranian artistry from birth. He first rose to prominence as a playwright, inspired by Persian legend and ritual. A devotee of cinema, he transitioned to 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 revolutionary government that deposed him—with each regime constantly poised to sniff out hidden messages that could be seen as criticism. "Beyzai never opted for the path of least resistance. He endured years of marginalization, imposed silence, and exile, but he never abandoned his artistic voice and his beliefs," stated the filmmaker in his tribute. The Little Stranger 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 take refuge from the Iran-Iraq war. It was censored in Iran—as were other films he made in that period—but later chosen by film critics as the greatest Iranian film of all time. The film was screened in a restored version at this year's Venice Biennale, receiving an award for best film in the heritage category. A Hopeful Exile Beyzai ultimately departed Iran in 2010 and lived out his final days in the US, where he lectured on Iranian culture. Although he went into exile, 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 native land.