🔗 Share this article Iranian Film Giant, Bahram Beyzai, Dies Aged 87 Bahram Beyzai (left) with his wife, actress Mozhdeh Shamsai Profound tributes have been shared for Bahram Beyzai, a colossus of Iranian cinema and theatre, who passed away aged 87 in the US. A Nation Mourns The headlines 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," said Prince Reza Pahlavi, son of the last Shah of Iran. Even though Beyzai's subsequent works were banned in the 1980s by the theocratic government, a host of senior figures in the current government have also acknowledged his contribution to Iranian culture. A Mentor to Filmmakers Several of the contemporary generation of Iranian filmmakers have acknowledged their debt to him. Jaafar Panahi noted that Beyzai showed them "the way to resist 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 explicit commentary. But his work over countless years sets archetypal characters in conflict with oppressive structures of power. Roots in Tradition 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, inspired by ancient myths and ceremonies. A lifelong fan of cinema, he moved into making films in the 1970s. He won renown as one of the pivotal artists in the new wave 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 both systems constantly poised to sniff out subtext that could be seen as criticism. "Beyzai did not choose the path of least resistance. He endured years of exclusion, enforced quiet, and exile, but he never abandoned his artistic voice and his beliefs," stated Jaafar Panahi in his tribute. A Masterpiece Amidst Conflict A few years after the Iranian Revolution, he produced what many consider his magnum opus, Bashu, the Little Stranger, about a young child who tries to find shelter from the devastating conflict. It was censored in Iran—as were other films he made in that period—but later voted by film critics as the greatest 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. A Hopeful Exile Beyzai finally left Iran in 2010 and lived out his final days in the US, where he taught Iranian culture. Although he left his homeland, his wife, the actress Shamsai, said just hearing the word "Iran" would still make him emotional—and he continued to hope for a new culture and future for his native land.