🔗 Share this article Persian Film Titan, Bahram Beyzai, Passes Away Aged 87 Bahram Beyzai (left) with his wife, actress Mozhdeh Shamsai Profound tributes are pouring in for 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 headlines of publications in Iran lament his loss, with opposition voices and those who look back fondly on the pre-revolution period also paying homage to Beyzai. "His passing is a great loss for the cultural heritage of our country," said Prince Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the last Shah of Iran. Although Beyzai's subsequent works were prohibited in the 1980s by the Islamic regime, a host of prominent officials in the current government have also acknowledged his contribution to Iranian culture. The Teacher of a Generation Several of the contemporary generation of Persian directors have acknowledged their debt to him. 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 playwright and a film director, and always said he tried not to deal in explicit commentary. But his work over many decades sets historical, even mythic figures in conflict with authoritarian religious and political systems. Roots in Tradition From a family of celebrated poets, Beyzai was imbued in the deepest traditions of Persian culture from birth. He first rose to prominence as a theater writer, drawing on ancient myths and ceremonies. A devotee of cinema, he transitioned to making films in the 1970s. He won renown as one of the pivotal artists in the new wave of Persian film. Navigating Censorship His most productive period spanned the time of the Shah and then the revolutionary government that overthrew him—with both systems ever ready to detect hidden messages that could be seen as criticism. "Beyzai did not choose the path of least resistance. He withstood years of exclusion, imposed silence, and distance, but he did not give up his artistic voice and his beliefs," stated the filmmaker 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 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 restored version at this year's Venice Biennale, receiving an award for best film in the heritage category. A Hopeful Exile Beyzai finally left Iran in 2010 and spent his later years in the US, where he taught Iranian culture. Even after he went into exile, his wife, the actress Mozhdeh Shamsai, said just hearing the word "Iran" would still make him emotional—and he continued to hope for a new culture and future for his native land.