🔗 Share this article Iranian Film Titan, Beyzai, Dies Aged 87 Bahram Beyzai (left) with his wife, actress Mozhdeh Shamsai Widespread tributes are pouring in for the legendary Bahram Beyzai, a colossus of Persian film and stage, who passed away aged 87 in the US. A Nation Mourns The headlines of Iranian newspapers lament his loss, with opposition voices and those who look back fondly on the Shah era also paying homage to Beyzai. "This loss is an immense tragedy for the art and culture of our country," said the exiled prince, son of the last Shah of Iran. Even though Beyzai's subsequent works were prohibited in the 1980s by the theocratic government, a number of prominent officials in the current government have also paid tribute his contribution to Iranian culture. A Mentor to Filmmakers Several of the current crop of Iranian filmmakers have expressed their gratitude to him. Award-winning director Jaafar Panahi noted that Beyzai showed them "the way to resist oblivion." Beyzai steered clear of 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 oeuvre over countless years places archetypal characters in conflict with oppressive religious and political systems. A Cultural Foundation From a family of celebrated poets, Beyzai was steeped in the deepest traditions of Persian culture from birth. He first found fame as a playwright, drawing on ancient myths and ceremonies. A devotee of cinema, he moved into making films in the 1970s. He won renown as one of the pivotal artists in the groundbreaking movement of Iranian cinema. An Enduring Voice His most fruitful era straddled the time of the Shah and then the revolutionary government that overthrew him—with each regime constantly poised to detect hidden messages that could be seen as dissent. "Beyzai did not choose the path of least resistance. He withstood years of exclusion, imposed silence, and exile, but he never abandoned his language and his convictions," stated the filmmaker in his tribute. A Masterpiece Amidst Conflict A few years after the 1979 Revolution, he produced what many regard as 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 newly remastered print at this year's Venice Film Festival, winning an award for best film in the heritage category. A Hopeful Exile Beyzai finally left Iran in 2010 and lived out his final days in the US, where he taught Persian studies. Even after 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 renewed spirit and tomorrow for his homeland.