🔗 Share this article

Widespread tributes are pouring in for the legendary Bahram Beyzai, a giant of Iranian cinema and theatre, who has died at the age of 87 while residing in the United States.

A Nation Mourns

The front pages of publications in Iran lament his loss, with dissenting figures and those who look back fondly on the pre-revolution period also offering their respects to Beyzai.

"This loss is a great loss for the art and culture of our country," said Prince Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the last Shah of Iran.

Even though Beyzai's later films were prohibited in the 1980s by the theocratic government, a number of prominent officials in the present administration have also acknowledged his legacy to Iranian culture.

The Teacher of a Generation

Several of the current crop of Iranian filmmakers have expressed their gratitude to him. Jaafar Panahi noted that Beyzai taught them "how to stand up to oblivion."

Beyzai avoided overtly political content in his work, both as a playwright and a cinematic auteur, and always said he tried not to deal in overt messages.

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

A Cultural Foundation

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

He first rose to prominence as a playwright, inspired by ancient myths and ceremonies.

A devotee of cinema, he transitioned to filmmaking in the 1970s.

He gained acclaim as one of the pivotal artists in the groundbreaking movement of Persian film.

Navigating Censorship

His most productive period straddled the time of the Shah and then the Islamic theocratic forces that deposed him—with each regime constantly poised to sniff out subtext that could be interpreted as criticism.

"Beyzai never opted for the path of least resistance. He withstood years of marginalization, enforced quiet, and distance, but he never abandoned his artistic voice and his beliefs," said Jaafar Panahi in his tribute.

A Masterpiece Amidst Conflict

A few years after the 1979 Revolution, he produced what many consider 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 voted by critics as the greatest Iranian film of all time.

The film was screened in a newly remastered print at this year's Venice Biennale, winning an award for best film in the classics section.

A Hopeful Exile

Beyzai finally left Iran in 2010 and lived out his final days in the US, where he taught Persian studies.

Although he went into exile, his wife, the actress Mozhdeh Shamsai, said just the sound of the word "Iran" would still bring tears to his eyes—and he remained ever hopeful for a new culture and future for his homeland.