🔗 Share this article Persian Cinema Titan, Beyzai, Passes Away At the Age of 87 Beyzai pictured alongside his spouse, the actress Mozhdeh Shamsai Widespread tributes are pouring in for Bahram Beyzai, a giant of Persian film and stage, who has died aged 87 in the US. A Nation Mourns The headlines of Iranian newspapers mourn his loss, with opposition voices and those who reflect nostalgically on the pre-revolution period also offering their respects to Beyzai. "This loss is an immense tragedy 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 current government have also acknowledged his legacy to Persian arts. A Mentor to Filmmakers Many of the contemporary generation of Iranian filmmakers have expressed their gratitude to him. Award-winning director Jaafar Panahi noted that Beyzai showed them "how to stand up to oblivion." Beyzai avoided direct political references in his work, both as a dramatist and a film director, and always said he tried not to deal in overt messages. But his oeuvre over many decades sets archetypal characters in conflict with oppressive structures of power. A Cultural Foundation From a family of renowned poets, Beyzai was steeped in the deepest traditions of Iranian artistry from birth. He first rose to prominence as a playwright, drawing on Persian legend and ritual. A devotee of cinema, he moved into filmmaking in the 1970s. He won renown as one of the pivotal artists in the new wave of Iranian cinema. Navigating Censorship His most fruitful era spanned the time of the Shah and then the revolutionary government that deposed him—with each regime constantly poised to detect hidden messages that could be seen as dissent. "Beyzai never opted for the path of least resistance. He endured years of marginalization, enforced quiet, and exile, but he never abandoned his language and his beliefs," said Jaafar Panahi in his tribute. A Masterpiece Amidst Conflict A few years after the 1979 Revolution, he produced what many regard as his masterpiece, Bashu, the Little Stranger, about a young child who tries to take refuge from the devastating conflict. It was banned 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, winning an award for best film in the classics section. Final Years in Exile Beyzai ultimately departed 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 Shamsai, said just the sound of the word "Iran" would still make him emotional—and he continued to hope for a renewed spirit and future for his homeland.