Iranian Cinema Giant, Beyzai, Passes Away At the Age of 87
Widespread tributes have been shared for Bahram Beyzai, a giant of Iranian cinema and theatre, who has died aged 87 in the US.
A Nation Mourns
The headlines of Iranian newspapers lament his loss, with opposition voices and those who reflect nostalgically on the pre-revolution period also paying homage to Beyzai.
"His passing is an immense tragedy for the art and culture of our country," said the exiled prince, son of the last Shah of Iran.
Although Beyzai's later films were prohibited in the 1980s by the Islamic regime, a host of prominent officials in the present administration have also acknowledged his legacy to Iranian culture.
The Teacher of a Generation
Many of the contemporary generation of Iranian filmmakers have acknowledged their debt to him. Award-winning director Jaafar Panahi noted that Beyzai showed them "the way to resist oblivion."
Beyzai avoided direct political references in his work, both as a playwright and a cinematic auteur, and always maintained he tried not to deal in overt messages.
But his work over countless years places historical, even mythic figures in conflict with oppressive structures of power.
Roots in Tradition
From a family of renowned poets, Beyzai was steeped in the richest heritage of Iranian artistry from birth.
He first rose to prominence as a theater writer, drawing on ancient myths and ceremonies.
A devotee of cinema, he moved into filmmaking in the 1970s.
He won renown as one of the pivotal artists in the new wave 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 both systems constantly poised to detect subtext that could be interpreted as dissent.
"Beyzai did not choose the easy way. He endured years of exclusion, enforced quiet, and distance, but he never abandoned his artistic voice 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 Iran-Iraq war.
It was censored in Iran—as were subsequent works he made in that time—but later voted by 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 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 Shamsai, said just the sound of the word "Iran" would still make him emotional—and he continued to hope for a new culture and tomorrow for his homeland.
