🔗 Share this article

Widespread tributes have been shared for the legendary Bahram Beyzai, a colossus of Iranian cinema and theatre, who passed away aged 87 in the US.

A Nation Mourns

The front pages of Iranian newspapers mourn his loss, with dissenting figures and those who look back fondly on the Shah era also paying homage to Beyzai.

"His passing is an immense tragedy for the cultural heritage of our country," said 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 senior figures in the current government have also acknowledged his contribution to Persian arts.

The Teacher of a Generation

Several of the current crop of Iranian filmmakers have expressed their gratitude to him. Award-winning director Jaafar Panahi said that Beyzai taught them "how to stand up to oblivion."

Beyzai steered clear of direct political references in his work, both as a playwright and a film director, and always said he tried not to trade in explicit commentary.

But his work over countless years sets historical, even mythic figures in conflict with authoritarian structures of power.

Roots in Tradition

From a family of celebrated poets, Beyzai was imbued in the richest heritage of Persian culture from birth.

He first found fame as a theater writer, drawing on ancient myths and ceremonies.

A lifelong fan of cinema, he transitioned to filmmaking in the 1970s.

He won renown as one of the pivotal artists in the groundbreaking movement of Persian film.

An Enduring Voice

His most fruitful era spanned the time of the Shah and then the Islamic theocratic forces that deposed him—with each regime constantly poised to detect subtext that could be seen as criticism.

"Beyzai never opted for the path of least resistance. He endured years of exclusion, imposed silence, and exile, but he never abandoned his language and his convictions," said Jaafar Panahi in his tribute.

The Little Stranger

A few years after the 1979 Revolution, he produced what many regard as his magnum opus, Bashu, the Little Stranger, about a small boy who tries to find shelter from the Iran-Iraq war.

It was censored in Iran—as were other films he made in that time—but later voted by critics as the best Iranian film of all time.

The film was shown in a restored version at this year's Venice Film Festival, 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 Mozhdeh Shamsai, said just hearing the word "Iran" would still make him emotional—and he continued to hope for a new culture and future for his native land.