🔗 Share this article Iranian Cinema Titan, Beyzai, Passes Away At the Age of 87 Beyzai pictured alongside his spouse, the actress Mozhdeh Shamsai Profound tributes have been shared for the legendary Bahram Beyzai, a colossus of Persian film and stage, who has died aged 87 in the US. Homeland in Mourning The headlines of Iranian newspapers lament his loss, with opposition voices and those who look back fondly on the Shah era also offering their respects to Beyzai. "His passing is a great loss for the cultural heritage of our country," said the exiled prince, the exiled son of the last Shah of Iran. Although Beyzai's subsequent works were prohibited in the 1980s by the Islamic regime, a host of senior figures in the current government have also paid tribute his contribution to Iranian culture. A Mentor to Filmmakers Many of the contemporary generation of Persian directors have acknowledged their debt to him. Award-winning director Jaafar Panahi noted that Beyzai showed them "how to stand up to oblivion." Beyzai avoided direct political references 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 countless years places historical, even mythic figures in opposition with oppressive religious and political systems. A Cultural Foundation From a family of renowned poets, Beyzai was steeped in the deepest traditions of Persian culture from birth. He first rose to prominence as a theater writer, inspired by Persian legend and ritual. A lifelong fan of cinema, he transitioned to making films in the 1970s. He won renown as one of the key figures in the groundbreaking movement of Iranian cinema. 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 detect subtext that could be interpreted as dissent. "Beyzai never opted for the easy way. He endured years of marginalization, enforced quiet, and distance, but he did not give up his language and his beliefs," stated the filmmaker in his tribute. The Little Stranger A few years after the 1979 Revolution, he produced what many regard as his magnum opus, Bashu, the Little Stranger, about a young child who tries to take refuge from the devastating conflict. It was censored in Iran—as were subsequent works he made in that period—but later chosen by film critics as the greatest Iranian film of all time. The film was screened in a newly remastered print at this year's Venice Film Festival, receiving an award for best film 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. Even after he went into exile, his wife, the actress Shamsai, said just the sound of the word "Iran" would still bring tears to his eyes—and he continued to hope for a renewed spirit and tomorrow for his native land.