🔗 Share this article

Profound tributes have been shared for Bahram Beyzai, a giant of Iranian cinema and theatre, who has died aged 87 while residing in the United States.

Homeland in Mourning

The headlines of Iranian newspapers mourn his loss, with dissenting figures and those who reflect nostalgically on the pre-revolution period also offering their respects to Beyzai.

"This loss is an immense tragedy for the cultural heritage of our country," remarked the exiled prince, the exiled son of the last Shah of Iran.

Even though Beyzai's subsequent works were prohibited in the 1980s by the theocratic government, a host of prominent officials in the current government have also paid tribute his legacy to Iranian culture.

A Mentor to Filmmakers

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

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

But his work over many decades places historical, even mythic figures in opposition with authoritarian structures of power.

A Cultural Foundation

From a family of renowned poets, Beyzai was steeped in the deepest traditions of Persian culture from birth.

He first rose to prominence as a playwright, drawing on Persian legend and ritual.

A devotee of cinema, he transitioned to making films in the 1970s.

He gained acclaim 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 deposed him—with both systems constantly poised to detect hidden messages that could be seen as criticism.

"Beyzai did not choose the easy way. He withstood years of exclusion, enforced quiet, and exile, but he did not give up his artistic voice and his convictions," stated the filmmaker in his tribute.

The Little Stranger

A few years after the Iranian Revolution, he produced what many regard as his masterpiece, 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 period—but later chosen by film critics as the greatest Iranian film of all time.

The film was shown in a newly remastered print at this year's Venice Biennale, receiving an award for outstanding feature in the heritage category.

Final Years in Exile

Beyzai finally left Iran in 2010 and spent his later years in the US, where he taught Persian studies.

Although he went into exile, his wife, the actress Shamsai, said just hearing the word "Iran" would still make him emotional—and he remained ever hopeful for a new culture and tomorrow for his homeland.