🔗 Share this article Iranian Film Titan, Bahram Beyzai, Dies Aged 87 Beyzai pictured alongside his spouse, the actress Mozhdeh Shamsai Profound tributes have been shared for the legendary Bahram Beyzai, a giant of Persian film and stage, who passed away aged 87 in the US. Homeland in Mourning The front pages of Iranian newspapers mourn his loss, with dissenting figures and those who reflect nostalgically on the Shah era also paying homage to Beyzai. "His passing is a great loss for the cultural heritage of our country," remarked Prince Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the last Shah of Iran. Although Beyzai's subsequent works were banned in the 1980s by the Islamic regime, a number of prominent officials in the present administration have also paid tribute his contribution to Persian arts. The Teacher of a Generation Several of the current crop of Persian directors have acknowledged their debt to him. Jaafar Panahi said 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 trade in overt messages. But his oeuvre over countless years sets historical, even mythic figures in opposition with oppressive structures of power. A Cultural Foundation Hailing from a lineage 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 lifelong fan of cinema, he transitioned to filmmaking in the 1970s. He won renown as one of the key figures in the new wave of Persian film. An Enduring Voice 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 hidden messages that could be seen as dissent. "Beyzai did not choose the easy way. He endured years of exclusion, imposed silence, and exile, but he did not give up his language and his convictions," stated the filmmaker 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 young child who tries to take refuge from the Iran-Iraq war. It was censored in Iran—as were subsequent works he made in that time—but later voted by film critics as the best Iranian film of all time. The film was screened in a restored version at this year's Venice Film Festival, receiving an award for outstanding feature in the classics section. A Hopeful Exile Beyzai ultimately departed Iran in 2010 and lived out his final days in the US, where he taught Iranian culture. Even after 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 remained ever hopeful for a new culture and tomorrow for his homeland.