🔗 Share this article Iranian Cinema Giant, Beyzai, Dies Aged 87 Beyzai pictured alongside his spouse, the actress Mozhdeh Shamsai Profound tributes have been shared for Bahram Beyzai, a colossus of Persian film and stage, who has died at the age of 87 while residing in the United States. Homeland in Mourning The headlines of Iranian newspapers lament his loss, with opposition voices 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," remarked the exiled prince, the exiled son of the last Shah of Iran. Although Beyzai's subsequent works were prohibited in the 1980s by the theocratic government, a number of prominent officials in the present administration have also acknowledged his contribution to Iranian culture. The Teacher of a Generation Several of the current crop of Iranian filmmakers 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 dramatist and a film director, and always maintained he tried not to deal in explicit commentary. But his work over countless years places historical, even mythic figures in opposition with authoritarian structures of power. Roots in Tradition Hailing from a lineage of celebrated poets, Beyzai was imbued in the deepest traditions of Iranian artistry from birth. He first found fame as a theater writer, drawing on ancient myths and ceremonies. A lifelong fan of cinema, he moved into filmmaking in the 1970s. He gained acclaim as one of the key figures in the new wave of Persian film. Navigating Censorship His most fruitful era spanned the time of the Shah and then the revolutionary government that deposed him—with both systems ever ready to sniff out hidden messages that could be seen as dissent. "Beyzai did not choose the easy way. He endured years of exclusion, enforced quiet, and exile, but he did not give up his language and his beliefs," stated Jaafar Panahi in his tribute. A Masterpiece Amidst Conflict A few years after the 1979 Revolution, he produced what many consider his masterpiece, Bashu, the Little Stranger, about a small boy who tries to take refuge from the Iran-Iraq war. It was banned in Iran—as were other films he made in that time—but later chosen by critics as the greatest Iranian film of all time. The film was screened in a restored version at this year's Venice Film Festival, winning an award for best film in the heritage category. Final Years in Exile Beyzai finally left Iran in 2010 and spent his later years in the US, where he taught Iranian culture. Although he left his homeland, his wife, the actress Mozhdeh Shamsai, said just the sound of the word "Iran" would still make him emotional—and he continued to hope for a new culture and future for his homeland.