🔗 Share this article Persian Film Giant, Beyzai, Passes Away At the Age of 87 Bahram Beyzai (left) with his wife, actress Mozhdeh Shamsai Widespread tributes are pouring in for the legendary Bahram Beyzai, a giant of Persian film and stage, who passed away at the age of 87 in the US. A Nation Mourns The front pages of Iranian newspapers lament his loss, with dissenting figures and those who reflect nostalgically on the Shah era also offering their respects to Beyzai. "This loss is a great loss for the cultural heritage of our country," remarked the exiled prince, son of the last Shah of Iran. Although Beyzai's later films were banned in the 1980s by the theocratic government, a number of prominent officials in the present administration have also paid tribute his contribution to Persian arts. A Mentor to Filmmakers Many 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 dramatist and a film director, 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 structures of power. Roots in Tradition 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 theater writer, inspired by Persian legend and ritual. A devotee of cinema, he transitioned to making films in the 1970s. He gained acclaim as one of the key figures in the groundbreaking movement of Persian film. Navigating Censorship His most fruitful era spanned the time of the Shah and then the Islamic theocratic forces that deposed him—with each regime ever ready to sniff out hidden messages that could be seen as dissent. "Beyzai did not choose the easy way. He endured years of exclusion, enforced quiet, and distance, but he never abandoned his artistic voice and his convictions," said the filmmaker in his tribute. The Little Stranger 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 find shelter 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 newly remastered print at this year's Venice Film Festival, receiving an award for best film in the heritage category. A Hopeful Exile Beyzai ultimately departed Iran in 2010 and spent his later years in the US, where he taught Persian studies. Although he left his homeland, his wife, the actress Shamsai, said just the sound of the word "Iran" would still make him emotional—and he remained ever hopeful for a new culture and tomorrow for his native land.