🔗 Share this article Persian Cinema Titan, Bahram Beyzai, Dies Aged 87 Beyzai pictured alongside his spouse, the actress Mozhdeh Shamsai Widespread tributes have been shared for Bahram Beyzai, a colossus of Persian film and stage, who has died aged 87 while residing in the United States. A Nation Mourns The headlines of Iranian newspapers mourn his loss, with dissenting figures and those who look back fondly on the pre-revolution period also paying homage to Beyzai. "His passing is an immense tragedy for the cultural heritage of our country," said the exiled prince, the exiled son of the last Shah of Iran. Even though Beyzai's subsequent works were prohibited in the 1980s by the theocratic government, a host of senior figures in the current government have also acknowledged his contribution to Persian arts. The Teacher of a Generation Several of the contemporary generation of Iranian filmmakers have expressed their gratitude to him. Award-winning director Jaafar Panahi noted that Beyzai taught them "the way to resist oblivion." Beyzai avoided direct political references in his work, both as a playwright and a film director, and always said he tried not to deal in overt messages. But his oeuvre over many decades sets archetypal characters in opposition with oppressive structures of power. Roots in Tradition Hailing from a lineage of renowned poets, Beyzai was steeped in the deepest traditions of Iranian artistry from birth. He first rose to prominence as a playwright, drawing on Persian legend and ritual. A devotee of cinema, he moved into filmmaking in the 1970s. He gained acclaim as one of the key figures in the groundbreaking movement of Iranian cinema. Navigating Censorship His most productive period spanned the time of the Shah and then the revolutionary government that deposed him—with each regime ever ready to detect subtext that could be interpreted as dissent. "Beyzai never opted for the easy way. He withstood years of marginalization, imposed silence, and exile, but he never abandoned his artistic voice and his beliefs," stated Jaafar Panahi 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 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 film critics as the greatest Iranian film of all time. The film was shown in a newly remastered print 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 Persian studies. Even after he left his homeland, his wife, the actress Shamsai, said just hearing the word "Iran" would still bring tears to his eyes—and he remained ever hopeful for a renewed spirit and tomorrow for his homeland.