🔗 Share this article Persian Cinema Titan, Beyzai, Dies At the Age of 87 Beyzai pictured alongside his spouse, the actress Mozhdeh Shamsai Widespread homages are pouring in for Bahram Beyzai, a giant of Persian film and stage, who has died at the age of 87 in the US. A Nation Mourns The front pages of publications in Iran lament 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," said 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 Islamic regime, a number of prominent officials in the present administration have also paid tribute his legacy to Persian arts. The Teacher of a Generation Several of the current crop of Iranian filmmakers have acknowledged their debt to him. Award-winning director Jaafar Panahi noted that Beyzai taught 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 maintained he tried not to deal in explicit commentary. But his work over countless years places historical, even mythic figures in opposition with authoritarian structures of power. Roots in Tradition Hailing from a lineage of renowned poets, Beyzai was imbued in the deepest traditions of Iranian artistry from birth. He first found fame as a theater writer, inspired by Persian legend and ritual. A lifelong fan of cinema, he transitioned to making films in the 1970s. He gained acclaim 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 revolutionary government that overthrew him—with both systems ever ready to detect subtext that could be seen as dissent. "Beyzai never opted for the path of least resistance. He endured years of marginalization, imposed silence, and exile, but he never abandoned his artistic voice and his convictions," stated the filmmaker in his tribute. The Little Stranger A few years after the 1979 Revolution, he produced what many regard as his masterpiece, Bashu, the Little Stranger, about a small boy 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 voted by critics as the best 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 outstanding feature in the classics section. A Hopeful Exile Beyzai finally left Iran in 2010 and lived out his final days in the US, where he lectured on Persian studies. Although he went into exile, his wife, the actress Shamsai, said just hearing the word "Iran" would still bring tears to his eyes—and he remained ever hopeful for a renewed spirit and future for his native land.