🔗 Share this article Persian Film Titan, Bahram Beyzai, Passes Away Aged 87 Bahram Beyzai (left) with his wife, actress Mozhdeh Shamsai Widespread homages have been shared for the legendary Bahram Beyzai, a giant of Persian film and stage, who has died at the age of 87 in the US. Homeland in Mourning The front pages of publications in Iran mourn his loss, with opposition voices and those who reflect nostalgically on the Shah era also paying homage to Beyzai. "His passing is an immense tragedy for the cultural heritage of our country," said Prince Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the last Shah of Iran. Even though Beyzai's later films 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 Persian arts. A Mentor to Filmmakers Several of the contemporary generation of Iranian filmmakers have expressed their gratitude to him. Jaafar Panahi noted that Beyzai showed them "how to stand up to oblivion." Beyzai avoided direct political references in his work, both as a playwright and a cinematic auteur, and always maintained he tried not to trade in overt messages. But his work over many decades places archetypal characters in conflict with oppressive religious and political systems. Roots in Tradition From a family of celebrated poets, Beyzai was steeped in the richest heritage 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 filmmaking in the 1970s. He won renown as one of the pivotal artists in the groundbreaking movement of Iranian cinema. An Enduring Voice His most productive period straddled the time of the Shah and then the Islamic theocratic forces 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 marginalization, imposed silence, and exile, but he did not give up his artistic voice and his beliefs," said Jaafar Panahi in his tribute. The Little Stranger A few years after the Iranian 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 other films he made in that time—but later chosen 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 outstanding feature in the heritage category. A Hopeful Exile Beyzai finally left Iran in 2010 and spent his later years in the US, where he taught Iranian culture. Even after he left his homeland, his wife, the actress Mozhdeh Shamsai, said just hearing the word "Iran" would still bring tears to his eyes—and he continued to hope for a new culture and future for his native land.