Iranian Cinema Giant, Bahram Beyzai, Passes Away At the Age of 87

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 in the US.

A Nation Mourns

The front pages of publications in Iran mourn his loss, with dissenting figures and those who look back fondly on the Shah era also offering their respects 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 later films were prohibited in the 1980s by the theocratic government, a host of senior figures in the current government have also acknowledged his contribution to Persian arts.

A Mentor to Filmmakers

Many of the current crop of Iranian filmmakers have expressed their gratitude to him. Award-winning director Jaafar Panahi said that Beyzai taught them "the way to resist oblivion."

Beyzai steered clear of direct political references in his work, both as a dramatist and a cinematic auteur, and always maintained he tried not to deal in explicit commentary.

But his oeuvre over countless years places historical, even mythic figures in opposition with oppressive structures of power.

A Cultural Foundation

From a family of renowned poets, Beyzai was steeped in the deepest traditions of Persian culture from birth.

He first found fame as a theater writer, drawing on Persian legend and ritual.

A devotee of cinema, he moved into filmmaking in the 1970s.

He gained acclaim as one of the key figures in the groundbreaking movement of Iranian cinema.

An Enduring Voice

His most productive period spanned the time of the Shah and then the Islamic theocratic forces that deposed him—with each regime ever ready to detect hidden messages that could be interpreted as dissent.

"Beyzai never opted for the path of least resistance. He withstood years of marginalization, imposed silence, 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 magnum opus, Bashu, the Little Stranger, about a young child who tries to find shelter from the Iran-Iraq war.

It was banned in Iran—as were other films he made in that time—but later chosen by film critics as the best Iranian film of all time.

The film was screened in a restored version at this year's Venice Biennale, winning an award for best film in the heritage category.

Final Years in Exile

Beyzai ultimately departed Iran in 2010 and lived out his final days in the US, where he lectured on Iranian culture.

Even after 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 continued to hope for a new culture and tomorrow for his native land.