Iranian Film Titan, Beyzai, Dies At the Age of 87
Profound homages have been shared for Bahram Beyzai, a giant of Persian film and stage, who passed away at the age of 87 while residing in the United States.
Homeland in Mourning
The headlines of publications in Iran lament his loss, with opposition voices 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 Prince Reza Pahlavi, 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 Persian arts.
The Teacher of a Generation
Several of the contemporary generation of Iranian filmmakers have expressed their gratitude to him. Award-winning director Jaafar Panahi said that Beyzai taught them "the way to resist oblivion."
Beyzai steered clear of direct political references in his work, both as a playwright and a film director, and always maintained he tried not to deal in overt messages.
But his oeuvre over many decades sets archetypal characters in opposition with authoritarian structures of power.
A Cultural Foundation
Hailing from a lineage of celebrated poets, Beyzai was imbued in the deepest traditions of Persian culture from birth.
He first rose to prominence as a theater writer, drawing on Persian legend and ritual.
A lifelong fan of cinema, he moved into making films in the 1970s.
He won renown as one of the pivotal artists in the new wave of Iranian cinema.
Navigating Censorship
His most fruitful era spanned the time of the Shah and then the Islamic theocratic forces that overthrew him—with each regime constantly poised to detect hidden messages that could be interpreted as criticism.
"Beyzai never opted for the path of least resistance. He withstood years of marginalization, enforced quiet, and distance, but he never abandoned his language and his convictions," said the filmmaker 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 young child who tries to take refuge from the Iran-Iraq war.
It was censored in Iran—as were subsequent works he made in that time—but later voted 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 classics section.
A Hopeful Exile
Beyzai finally left Iran in 2010 and lived out his final days in the US, where he taught Iranian culture.
Even after he left his homeland, his wife, the actress Shamsai, said just the sound of the word "Iran" would still make him emotional—and he continued to hope for a renewed spirit and tomorrow for his homeland.
