Persian Cinema Titan, Bahram Beyzai, Dies At the Age of 87
Widespread tributes have been shared for Bahram Beyzai, a colossus of Iranian cinema and theatre, who passed away at the age of 87 while residing in the United States.
A Nation Mourns
The headlines of publications in Iran mourn his loss, with dissenting figures and those who look back fondly on the Shah era also paying homage to Beyzai.
"This loss is an immense tragedy for the art and culture of our country," remarked Prince Reza Pahlavi, son of the last Shah of Iran.
Even though Beyzai's later films were banned in the 1980s by the Islamic regime, a host of prominent officials in the current government have also paid tribute his contribution to Persian arts.
The Teacher of a Generation
Several of the current crop 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 steered clear of direct political references in his work, both as a playwright and a cinematic auteur, and always said he tried not to deal in explicit commentary.
But his oeuvre over countless years sets archetypal characters in conflict with oppressive structures of power.
Roots in Tradition
From a family of renowned poets, Beyzai was steeped in the deepest traditions of Persian culture from birth.
He first rose to prominence as a theater writer, inspired by Persian legend and ritual.
A devotee of cinema, he transitioned to filmmaking in the 1970s.
He gained acclaim as one of the key figures in the new wave of Iranian cinema.
An Enduring Voice
His most fruitful era straddled the time of the Shah and then the revolutionary government that overthrew him—with both systems ever ready to sniff out hidden messages that could be interpreted as dissent.
"Beyzai did not choose the path of least resistance. He withstood years of exclusion, enforced quiet, and exile, but he never abandoned his artistic voice and his beliefs," said the filmmaker in his tribute.
A Masterpiece Amidst Conflict
A few years after the Iranian Revolution, he produced what many regard as 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 time—but later voted by film critics as the greatest Iranian film of all time.
The film was shown in a restored version at this year's Venice Film Festival, receiving an award for outstanding feature in the classics section.
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 Shamsai, said just the sound of the word "Iran" would still bring tears to his eyes—and he remained ever hopeful for a new culture and future for his homeland.
