Persian Cinema Titan, Beyzai, Dies At the Age of 87
Widespread tributes are pouring in for Bahram Beyzai, a giant of Persian film and stage, who has died aged 87 while residing in the United States.
Homeland in Mourning
The front pages of publications in Iran lament his loss, with opposition voices and those who look back fondly on the pre-revolution period also paying homage to Beyzai.
"This loss is an immense tragedy for the art and culture of our country," said Prince Reza Pahlavi, son of the last Shah of Iran.
Even though Beyzai's later films were banned in the 1980s by the theocratic government, a host of senior figures in the current government have also paid tribute his legacy to Persian arts.
The Teacher of a Generation
Several of the contemporary generation of Persian directors have acknowledged their debt 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 said he tried not to deal in overt messages.
But his oeuvre over many decades places historical, even mythic figures in conflict with oppressive religious and political systems.
A Cultural Foundation
Hailing from a lineage of renowned poets, Beyzai was steeped in the deepest traditions of Persian culture from birth.
He first found fame as a theater writer, inspired by ancient myths and ceremonies.
A lifelong fan of cinema, he moved into filmmaking in the 1970s.
He won renown as one of the pivotal artists in the groundbreaking movement of Persian film.
Navigating Censorship
His most fruitful era spanned the time of the Shah and then the Islamic theocratic forces that overthrew him—with both systems constantly poised to sniff out hidden messages that could be seen as dissent.
"Beyzai did not choose the path of least resistance. He withstood years of marginalization, enforced quiet, and exile, but he never abandoned his language and his convictions," stated Jaafar Panahi in his tribute.
A Masterpiece Amidst Conflict
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 take refuge from the devastating conflict.
It was banned 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, winning an award for best film in the classics section.
A Hopeful Exile
Beyzai ultimately departed Iran in 2010 and spent his later years in the US, where he lectured on Persian studies.
Although he went into exile, his wife, the actress Mozhdeh Shamsai, said just the sound of the word "Iran" would still make him emotional—and he continued to hope for a renewed spirit and future for his homeland.
