Iranian Cinema Titan, Beyzai, Dies At the Age of 87
Profound homages are pouring in for the legendary 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 look back fondly on the Shah era also offering their respects to Beyzai.
"His passing is a great loss for the art and culture of our country," said Prince Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the last Shah of Iran.
Although Beyzai's later films were banned in the 1980s by the theocratic government, a host of senior figures in the present administration have also paid tribute his contribution to Persian arts.
A Mentor to Filmmakers
Many of the contemporary generation of Persian directors have acknowledged their debt to him. Jaafar Panahi said that Beyzai taught them "the way to resist oblivion."
Beyzai steered clear of overtly political content in his work, both as a playwright and a cinematic auteur, and always maintained he tried not to deal in explicit commentary.
But his work over many decades places historical, even mythic figures in conflict with oppressive structures of power.
A Cultural Foundation
Hailing from a lineage of celebrated poets, Beyzai was imbued in the richest heritage 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 productive period straddled the time of the Shah and then the Islamic theocratic forces that overthrew him—with each regime ever ready to detect subtext that could be interpreted as criticism.
"Beyzai did not choose the path of least resistance. He withstood years of exclusion, enforced quiet, and exile, but he never abandoned his artistic voice and his beliefs," stated the filmmaker in his tribute.
A Masterpiece Amidst Conflict
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 other films he made in that time—but later voted by film critics as the greatest Iranian film of all time.
The film was shown in a restored version 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 Iranian culture.
Even after he left his homeland, his wife, the actress Shamsai, said just hearing the word "Iran" would still bring tears to his eyes—and he continued to hope for a renewed spirit and tomorrow for his homeland.
