Iranian Film Titan, Beyzai, Dies Aged 87

Profound homages are pouring in for the legendary Bahram Beyzai, a colossus of Iranian cinema and theatre, 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 pre-revolution period also offering their respects to Beyzai.

"His passing 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 later films were banned in the 1980s by the Islamic regime, a number of prominent officials in the current government have also acknowledged his contribution to Persian arts.

A Mentor to Filmmakers

Several of the contemporary generation of Persian directors have expressed their gratitude to him. Jaafar Panahi said that Beyzai taught them "how to stand up to oblivion."

Beyzai avoided overtly political content in his work, both as a dramatist and a film director, and always maintained he tried not to trade in overt messages.

But his work over many decades places archetypal characters in conflict with authoritarian structures of power.

Roots in Tradition

From a family of celebrated poets, Beyzai was steeped in the richest heritage of Persian culture from birth.

He first found fame as a theater writer, inspired by ancient myths and ceremonies.

A devotee of cinema, he moved into 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 fruitful era 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 dissent.

"Beyzai did not choose the path of least resistance. He withstood years of exclusion, imposed silence, and exile, but he never abandoned his artistic voice and his convictions," stated Jaafar Panahi in his tribute.

The Little Stranger

A few years after the Iranian Revolution, he produced what many consider his masterpiece, Bashu, the Little Stranger, about a small boy who tries to take refuge from the Iran-Iraq war.

It was censored in Iran—as were subsequent works he made in that time—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 Film Festival, receiving an award for outstanding feature in the heritage category.

A Hopeful Exile

Beyzai ultimately departed Iran in 2010 and spent his later years in the US, where he lectured on Iranian culture.

Although he went into exile, his wife, the actress Shamsai, said just hearing the word "Iran" would still bring tears to his eyes—and he continued to hope for a new culture and future for his native land.