🔗 Share this article

Widespread homages have been shared for Bahram Beyzai, a giant of Iranian cinema and theatre, who passed away aged 87 while residing in the United States.

Homeland in Mourning

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 the exiled prince, son of the last Shah of Iran.

Although Beyzai's subsequent works were prohibited in the 1980s by the theocratic government, a number of senior figures in the present administration have also paid tribute 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 said that Beyzai taught them "how to stand up to oblivion."

Beyzai avoided overtly political content in his work, both as a playwright and a film director, and always said he tried not to trade in explicit commentary.

But his work over many decades sets historical, even mythic figures in opposition with authoritarian religious and political systems.

Roots in Tradition

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

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

A lifelong fan of cinema, he transitioned to making films in the 1970s.

He gained acclaim as one of the key figures in the new wave of Iranian cinema.

An Enduring Voice

His most productive period straddled the time of the Shah and then the Islamic theocratic forces that overthrew him—with both systems constantly poised to sniff out hidden messages that could be seen as criticism.

"Beyzai never opted for the easy way. He withstood years of exclusion, imposed silence, and distance, but he did not give up his language and his beliefs," said the filmmaker in his tribute.

The Little Stranger

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 find shelter from the Iran-Iraq war.

It was banned in Iran—as were subsequent works he made in that time—but later voted by critics as the greatest Iranian film of all time.

The film was shown in a restored version at this year's Venice Biennale, receiving an award for outstanding feature in the heritage category.

Final Years in Exile

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

Although he left his homeland, his wife, the actress Mozhdeh Shamsai, said just hearing the word "Iran" would still make him emotional—and he remained ever hopeful for a new culture and future for his native land.