🔗 Share this article Iranian Film Titan, Bahram Beyzai, Passes Away Aged 87 Beyzai pictured alongside his spouse, the actress Mozhdeh Shamsai Widespread homages are pouring in for Bahram Beyzai, a giant of Persian film and stage, who passed away aged 87 in the US. A Nation Mourns The headlines of Iranian newspapers mourn his loss, with opposition voices and those who look back fondly on the Shah era also paying homage to Beyzai. "His passing is a great loss for the art and culture of our country," said the exiled prince, son of the last Shah of Iran. Although Beyzai's subsequent works were prohibited in the 1980s by the Islamic regime, a number of prominent officials 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. Award-winning director Jaafar Panahi said that Beyzai taught 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 many decades places historical, even mythic figures in conflict with oppressive structures of power. Roots in Tradition From a family of renowned poets, Beyzai was imbued in the richest heritage of Iranian artistry from birth. He first rose to prominence as a playwright, inspired by 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 productive period spanned the time of the Shah and then the revolutionary government that overthrew him—with each regime constantly poised to detect subtext that could be interpreted as dissent. "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 the filmmaker in his tribute. A Masterpiece Amidst Conflict A few years after the 1979 Revolution, he produced what many regard as his masterpiece, Bashu, the Little Stranger, about a small boy who tries to find shelter from the Iran-Iraq war. It was banned in Iran—as were subsequent works he made in that period—but later voted by film critics as the best Iranian film of all time. The film was screened in a newly remastered print at this year's Venice Biennale, winning 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 Persian studies. Even after he went into exile, his wife, the actress Mozhdeh Shamsai, said just hearing the word "Iran" would still make him emotional—and he continued to hope for a renewed spirit and tomorrow for his homeland.