🔗 Share this article Persian Film Giant, Bahram Beyzai, Dies Aged 87 Beyzai pictured alongside his spouse, the actress Mozhdeh Shamsai Widespread homages have been shared for the legendary Bahram Beyzai, a giant of Iranian cinema and theatre, who has died at the age of 87 while residing in the United States. A Nation Mourns The headlines of Iranian newspapers mourn his loss, with opposition voices and those who reflect nostalgically on the pre-revolution period also paying homage to Beyzai. "This loss is a great loss for the art and culture of our country," said the exiled prince, 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 senior figures in the present administration have also paid tribute his contribution to Persian arts. The Teacher of a Generation Many of the contemporary generation of Persian directors have expressed their gratitude to him. Award-winning director Jaafar Panahi noted that Beyzai taught 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 trade in explicit commentary. But his oeuvre over many decades places historical, even mythic figures in opposition with oppressive religious and political systems. Roots in Tradition Hailing from a lineage of celebrated poets, Beyzai was imbued in the richest heritage of Iranian artistry from birth. He first rose to prominence as a playwright, drawing on Persian legend and ritual. A devotee of cinema, he moved into filmmaking in the 1970s. He gained acclaim as one of the pivotal artists in the new wave of Iranian cinema. Navigating Censorship His most fruitful era spanned the time of the Shah and then the revolutionary government that deposed him—with each regime constantly poised to sniff out hidden messages that could be seen as dissent. "Beyzai never opted for the path of least resistance. He endured years of exclusion, imposed silence, and exile, but he never abandoned his artistic voice and his beliefs," said the filmmaker in his tribute. The Little Stranger 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 banned in Iran—as were subsequent works he made in that time—but later chosen by critics as the greatest Iranian film of all time. The film was shown in a restored version at this year's Venice Biennale, winning an award for outstanding feature in the classics section. Final Years in Exile Beyzai finally left Iran in 2010 and lived out his final days in the US, where he taught Iranian culture. Although he left his homeland, his wife, the actress Shamsai, said just hearing the word "Iran" would still make him emotional—and he remained ever hopeful for a renewed spirit and future for his homeland.