🔗 Share this article Iranian Film Giant, Beyzai, Passes Away Aged 87 Beyzai pictured alongside his spouse, the actress Mozhdeh Shamsai Widespread tributes have been shared for Bahram Beyzai, a colossus of Iranian cinema and theatre, who passed away at the age of 87 in the US. A Nation Mourns The headlines of publications in Iran lament his loss, with opposition voices and those who look back fondly on the pre-revolution period also offering their respects to Beyzai. "This loss 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 Islamic regime, a number of prominent officials in the present administration have also paid tribute his legacy to Iranian culture. A Mentor to Filmmakers Many of the current crop of Persian directors have expressed their gratitude to him. Award-winning director Jaafar Panahi said that Beyzai showed them "how to stand up to oblivion." Beyzai steered clear of overtly political content in his work, both as a playwright and a film director, and always said he tried not to deal in overt messages. But his oeuvre over countless years sets historical, even mythic figures in opposition with oppressive religious and political systems. A Cultural Foundation Hailing from a lineage of renowned poets, Beyzai was steeped in the deepest traditions of Iranian artistry from birth. He first rose to prominence as a theater writer, inspired by ancient myths and ceremonies. A devotee of cinema, he moved into filmmaking in the 1970s. He won renown as one of the pivotal artists in the new wave of Persian film. An Enduring Voice His most fruitful era straddled the time of the Shah and then the Islamic theocratic forces that overthrew him—with each regime ever ready to detect hidden messages that could be interpreted as criticism. "Beyzai did not choose the easy way. He withstood years of exclusion, imposed silence, and exile, but he never abandoned his language and his beliefs," said the filmmaker in his tribute. A Masterpiece Amidst Conflict 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 find shelter from the devastating conflict. It was censored in Iran—as were subsequent works he made in that period—but later voted by film critics as the greatest Iranian film of all time. The film was screened in a newly remastered print at this year's Venice Biennale, receiving an award for best film in the heritage category. A Hopeful Exile Beyzai finally left Iran in 2010 and lived out his final days in the US, where he taught Iranian culture. Although he left his homeland, his wife, the actress Mozhdeh Shamsai, said just the sound of the word "Iran" would still bring tears to his eyes—and he continued to hope for a new culture and tomorrow for his homeland.