The world of Iranian art and culture mourns the passing of Bahram Beyzai, one of the most influential filmmakers and playwrights of our time. To honor his legacy, we are sharing a poignant reflection written by Dr. Mohammad Dehghani, a distinguished scholar of Persian literature and a featured educator here at Joy of Persian.
In Exile, a Master Rests By Dr. Mohammad Dehghani
My journalist friend, Farzad Nemati, just called to share the news: Bahram Beyzai has passed away in exile. It will be a long time before Iranians see another artist of his caliber.
I first encountered his genius through his films and plays in the 1980s. I remember when television aired Death of Yazdgerd, featuring the brilliant performance of Susan Taslimi. She shone again in Bashu, the Little Stranger—both works written and directed by Beyzai. He truly belongs among the world’s great auteur directors, in the same rank as Akira Kurosawa.
In the mid-1990s, while teaching General Persian to cinema and theater students at the University of Art, I analyzed the plays of Beyzai, Sa’edi, and Akbar Radi at my students’ request. It was then that I examined Beyzai’s prose with greater precision. I realized he was a truly “language-aware” (zaban-agah) writer—one who understood the various cycles and styles of the Persian language and utilized its full capacity with intention.
Like the filmmaker Ali Hatami, Beyzai was deeply drawn to history and historical narratives. However, unlike Hatami, he looked far beyond the Qajar era. Beyzai journeyed into the distant reaches of Iranian history—from mythological ages to the Sassanid and Islamic periods—inventing a unique style and language that was entirely his own.
Alas, he could not withstand the formidable opponent of our time—the ignorance and prejudice of those claiming religious piety—and was forced to leave his homeland. Now, he has laid his head on the soil of exile. If those in power were wise, they would return his body with the respect he deserves to his beloved homeland, bury him in a fitting place, and build a grand monument in his memory.
But where is wisdom to be found?
About the Author: Dr. Mohammad Dehghani is a renowned authority on Persian literature and history. You can explore his deep dives into classical texts like the “Golestan of Sa’di” and “Qabus-Nameh” through our Lecture Series here.