🔗 Share this article Iranian Film Titan, Bahram Beyzai, Dies At the Age of 87 Bahram Beyzai (left) with his wife, actress Mozhdeh Shamsai Widespread tributes 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. Homeland in Mourning The front pages of publications in Iran mourn his loss, with dissenting figures and those who look back fondly on the pre-revolution period also paying homage to Beyzai. "His passing is a great loss for the cultural heritage of our country," remarked Prince Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the last Shah of Iran. Even though Beyzai's subsequent works were banned in the 1980s by the theocratic government, a number of prominent officials in the present administration have also acknowledged his contribution to Iranian culture. A Mentor to Filmmakers Several of the current crop of Persian directors have acknowledged their debt to him. Award-winning director Jaafar Panahi said that Beyzai showed 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 trade in overt messages. But his work over countless years places historical, even mythic figures in opposition with authoritarian structures of power. Roots in Tradition From a family of renowned poets, Beyzai was steeped in the deepest traditions of Iranian artistry from birth. He first found fame as a theater writer, inspired by Persian legend and ritual. A devotee of cinema, he moved into making films in the 1970s. He won renown as one of the key figures 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 sniff out subtext that could be interpreted 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," 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 small boy who tries to find shelter from the devastating conflict. It was banned in Iran—as were subsequent works he made in that period—but later chosen by film critics as the best Iranian film of all time. The film was shown in a newly remastered print 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 spent his later years in the US, where he lectured on Iranian culture. Although he went into exile, his wife, the actress Shamsai, said just the sound of the word "Iran" would still bring tears to his eyes—and he continued to hope for a new culture and tomorrow for his native land.