🔗 Share this article

Profound homages are pouring in for the legendary Bahram Beyzai, a giant of Iranian cinema and theatre, who passed away aged 87 in the US.

Homeland in Mourning

The headlines of Iranian newspapers lament his loss, with dissenting figures and those who reflect nostalgically on the pre-revolution period also paying homage to Beyzai.

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

Although Beyzai's subsequent works were prohibited in the 1980s by the Islamic regime, a number of senior figures in the current government have also paid tribute his contribution to Iranian culture.

The Teacher of a Generation

Many of the contemporary generation of Iranian filmmakers have expressed their gratitude to him. Jaafar Panahi said that Beyzai showed them "the way to resist oblivion."

Beyzai steered clear of direct political references in his work, both as a playwright and a film director, and always maintained he tried not to deal in overt messages.

But his work over many decades sets archetypal characters in opposition with authoritarian structures of power.

Roots in Tradition

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

He first found fame as a playwright, 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 pivotal artists in the new wave of Iranian cinema.

Navigating Censorship

His most productive period spanned the time of the Shah and then the revolutionary government that overthrew him—with both systems constantly poised to detect hidden messages that could be seen as dissent.

"Beyzai did not choose the easy way. He withstood years of exclusion, enforced quiet, and distance, but he did not give up his artistic voice and his convictions," said Jaafar Panahi in his tribute.

A Masterpiece Amidst Conflict

A few years after the Iranian Revolution, he produced what many consider his masterpiece, Bashu, the Little Stranger, about a young child who tries to find shelter from the Iran-Iraq war.

It was banned in Iran—as were other films he made in that period—but later voted by film critics as the best Iranian film of all time.

The film was shown in a newly remastered print at this year's Venice Film Festival, receiving an award for best film in the classics section.

Final Years in Exile

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

Although he left his homeland, his wife, the actress Mozhdeh 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 homeland.