Profound homages are pouring in for the legendary Bahram Beyzai, a colossus of Persian film and stage, who passed away at the age of 87 in the US.
Homeland in Mourning
The headlines of publications in Iran mourn his loss, with opposition voices and those who look back fondly on the Shah era also paying homage to Beyzai.
"His passing is a great loss for the cultural heritage of our country," said the exiled prince, the exiled son of the last Shah of Iran.
Although Beyzai's subsequent works were banned in the 1980s by the Islamic regime, a host of prominent officials in the present administration have also acknowledged his legacy to Persian arts.
The Teacher of a Generation
Several 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 avoided direct political references in his work, both as a playwright and a film director, and always said he tried not to deal in explicit commentary.
But his oeuvre over countless years places archetypal characters in opposition with oppressive religious and political systems.
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, inspired by ancient myths and ceremonies.
A devotee of cinema, he moved into making films in the 1970s.
He won renown as one of the pivotal artists in the new wave of Persian film.
Navigating Censorship
His most fruitful era spanned the time of the Shah and then the Islamic theocratic forces that deposed him—with both systems ever ready to detect subtext that could be interpreted as dissent.
"Beyzai never opted for the easy way. He withstood years of marginalization, imposed silence, and distance, but he did not give up his artistic voice and his beliefs," stated the filmmaker in his tribute.
The Little Stranger
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 take refuge from the Iran-Iraq war.
It was censored in Iran—as were other films he made in that time—but later chosen 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 Film Festival, receiving an award for outstanding feature in the heritage category.
A Hopeful Exile
Beyzai finally left Iran in 2010 and spent his later years in the US, where he taught Persian studies.
Although he went into exile, 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 new culture and tomorrow for his homeland.
