🔗 Share this article Persian Film Giant, Bahram Beyzai, Dies At the Age of 87 Beyzai pictured alongside his spouse, the actress Mozhdeh Shamsai Profound homages are pouring in for the legendary Bahram Beyzai, a colossus of Iranian cinema and theatre, 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 look back fondly on the pre-revolution period also offering their respects to Beyzai. "This loss is a great loss for the art and culture of our country," said Prince Reza Pahlavi, son of the last Shah of Iran. Even though Beyzai's subsequent works were banned in the 1980s by the theocratic government, a number of prominent officials in the current government have also acknowledged his legacy to Persian arts. The Teacher of a Generation Many of the contemporary generation of Iranian filmmakers have expressed their gratitude to him. Jaafar Panahi noted that Beyzai showed them "how to stand up to oblivion." Beyzai avoided overtly political content in his work, both as a dramatist and a cinematic auteur, and always said he tried not to trade in explicit commentary. But his oeuvre over countless years places historical, even mythic figures in opposition with authoritarian religious and political systems. Roots in Tradition From a family of renowned poets, Beyzai was steeped in the richest heritage of Iranian artistry from birth. He first found fame as a playwright, drawing on ancient myths and ceremonies. 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 spanned the time of the Shah and then the revolutionary government that overthrew him—with each regime ever ready to sniff out hidden messages that could be seen as criticism. "Beyzai never opted for the easy way. He endured years of exclusion, 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 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 subsequent works he made in that period—but later chosen by critics as the greatest Iranian film of all time. The film was shown in a restored version at this year's Venice Film Festival, receiving an award for outstanding feature in the heritage category. A Hopeful Exile Beyzai ultimately departed Iran in 2010 and spent his later years in the US, where he taught Iranian culture. Although he went into exile, his wife, the actress Shamsai, said just the sound of the word "Iran" would still bring tears to his eyes—and he remained ever hopeful for a renewed spirit and tomorrow for his native land.