š Share this article Persian Cinema Titan, Beyzai, Passes Away Aged 87 Beyzai pictured alongside his spouse, the actress Mozhdeh Shamsai Widespread tributes are pouring in for the legendary Bahram Beyzai, a colossus of Iranian cinema and theatre, who passed away aged 87 in the US. Homeland in Mourning The headlines of Iranian newspapers lament his loss, with dissenting figures and those who reflect nostalgically on the Shah era also paying homage to Beyzai. "This loss is a great loss for the cultural heritage of our country," remarked the exiled prince, son of the last Shah of Iran. Although Beyzai's subsequent works were prohibited in the 1980s by the Islamic regime, a host of senior figures in the current government have also acknowledged his contribution to Persian arts. The Teacher of a Generation Several of the current crop of Persian directors have expressed their gratitude to him. Jaafar Panahi said that Beyzai taught them "how to stand up to oblivion." Beyzai steered clear of overtly political content in his work, both as a dramatist and a cinematic auteur, and always maintained he tried not to trade in overt messages. But his oeuvre over countless years sets historical, even mythic figures in opposition with authoritarian structures of power. Roots in Tradition From a family of renowned poets, Beyzai was steeped 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 devotee of cinema, he transitioned to 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 deposed himāwith both systems constantly poised to sniff out hidden messages that could be seen as criticism. "Beyzai never opted for the path of least resistance. He withstood years of exclusion, enforced quiet, and exile, but he did not give up his artistic voice and his beliefs," said 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 find shelter from the Iran-Iraq war. It was banned in Iranāas were subsequent works he made in that timeābut later voted by film critics as the greatest Iranian film of all time. The film was screened in a restored version at this year's Venice Biennale, receiving an award for best film in the heritage category. Final Years in Exile Beyzai finally left Iran in 2010 and lived out his final days in the US, where he taught Iranian culture. Even after he went into exile, his wife, the actress Shamsai, said just the sound of the word "Iran" would still make him emotionalāand he remained ever hopeful for a new culture and future for his native land.