Profound tributes are pouring in for the legendary Bahram Beyzai, a giant of Iranian cinema and theatre, who has died aged 87 in the US.
Homeland in Mourning
The headlines of publications in Iran lament his loss, with opposition voices and those who look back fondly on the Shah era also paying homage to Beyzai.
"This loss is a great loss for the cultural heritage of our country," remarked Prince Reza Pahlavi, son of the last Shah of Iran.
Although Beyzai's subsequent works were banned in the 1980s by the theocratic government, a number of prominent officials in the present administration have also acknowledged his contribution to Persian arts.
A Mentor to Filmmakers
Many of the current crop of Persian directors have acknowledged their debt 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 dramatist and a cinematic auteur, and always said he tried not to deal in overt messages.
But his oeuvre over many decades places historical, even mythic figures in conflict with oppressive religious and political systems.
Roots in Tradition
Hailing from a lineage of celebrated poets, Beyzai was steeped in the richest heritage of Iranian artistry from birth.
He first found fame as a playwright, inspired by Persian legend and ritual.
A lifelong fan of cinema, he transitioned to filmmaking in the 1970s.
He gained acclaim as one of the key figures in the groundbreaking movement of Iranian cinema.
An Enduring Voice
His most fruitful era straddled the time of the Shah and then the Islamic theocratic forces that overthrew him—with both systems ever ready to sniff out hidden messages that could be seen as criticism.
"Beyzai did not choose the easy way. He withstood years of exclusion, enforced quiet, and exile, but he never abandoned his language and his convictions," stated Jaafar Panahi in his tribute.
The Little Stranger
A few years after the 1979 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 banned in Iran—as were other films he made in that time—but later voted by film critics as the best Iranian film of all time.
The film was shown in a newly remastered print at this year's Venice Biennale, receiving an award for outstanding feature in the classics section.
Final Years in Exile
Beyzai finally left Iran in 2010 and lived out his final days in the US, where he taught Persian studies.
Although he went into exile, his wife, the actress Mozhdeh Shamsai, said just the sound of the word "Iran" would still make him emotional—and he continued to hope for a new culture and tomorrow for his homeland.
