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Bahrām Beyzāêi (also spelt Beizāi, Beyzāêi, fa, بهرام بیضائی; born 26 December 1938) is an Iranian playwright, theatre director, screenwriter, film editor, and '' ostād'' ("master") of Persian letters, arts and
Iranian studies Iranian studies ( fa, ايران‌شناسی '), also referred to as Iranology and Iranistics, is an interdisciplinary field dealing with the research and study of the civilization, history, literature, art and culture of Iranian peoples. It ...
. Beyzaie is the son of the poet Ne'matallah Beyzai (best known by his literary pseudonym "Zokā'i"). The celebrated poet Adib Beyzai, known as one of the most profound poets of 20th-century Iran, is Bahram's paternal uncle. Bahram Beyzaie's paternal grandfather, Mirzā Mohammad-Rezā Ārāni ("Ebn Ruh"), and paternal great-grandfather, the mulla Mohammad-Faqih Ārāni ("Ruh'ol-Amin"), were also notable poets. In spite of his somewhat belated start in cinema, Beyzai is often considered a pioneer of a generation of filmmakers whose works are sometimes described as the
Iranian New Wave Iranian New Wave refers to a movement in Iranian cinema. It started in 1964 with Hajir Darioush's second film ''Serpent's Skin'', which was based on D.H. Lawrence's '' Lady Chatterley's Lover'' featuring Fakhri Khorvash and Jamshid Mashayekhi. ...
. His ''
Bashu, the Little Stranger ''Bashu, the Little Stranger'' ( fa, باشو غریبه کوچک, translit=Bashu, Gharibeye Koochak), is a 1986 Iranian drama film directed by Bahram Beizai. The film was produced in 1986, and was released in 1989. This multi-ethnic film was the ...
'' (1986) was voted "Best Iranian Film of all time" in November 1999 by a Persian movie magazine ''Picture World'' poll of 150 Iranian critics and professionals. Still, even before the outset of his cinematic career in 1970, he was a leading playwright (as well as theatre historian), so much so that he is often considered the greatest playwright of the Persian language, and holds a reputation as "The
Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 26 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's natio ...
of Persia". Since 2010, Beyzai has lived and taught at Stanford University,
United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
.


Early years

Beyzaie was born in
Tehran Tehran (; fa, تهران ) is the largest city in Tehran Province and the capital of Iran. With a population of around 9 million in the city and around 16 million in the larger metropolitan area of Greater Tehran, Tehran is the most popul ...
, to a poet,
anthologist In book publishing, an anthology is a collection of literary works chosen by the compiler; it may be a collection of plays, poems, short stories, songs or excerpts by different authors. In genre fiction, the term ''anthology'' typically catego ...
and biographer father and a housewife mother. His father made a living through a legal occupation and was able to attend to his literary interests reasonably. The young Bahram did not seem very interested in his family legacy, being poetry, which was pursued by his father, uncles and cousins. In high school, the Dar'ol-Fonoun, he wrote two historical plays which went on to become his preferred method of writing. At the age of 21, he did substantial research on the traditional Persian plays, particularly
Ta'zieh Ta'zieh ( ar, تعزية; fa, تعزیه; ur, ) means comfort, condolence, or expression of grief. It comes from roots ''aza'' (عزو and عزى) which means mourning. Depending on the region, time, occasion, religion, etc. the word can sig ...
, and by 1961 he had already spent a great deal of time studying and researching other ancient
Persian Persian may refer to: * People and things from Iran, historically called ''Persia'' in the English language ** Persians, the majority ethnic group in Iran, not to be conflated with the Iranic peoples ** Persian language, an Iranian language of the ...
and pre- Islamic culture and literature. This in turn led him to studying Eastern theatre and traditional Iranian theatre and arts which would help him formulate a new non-Western identity for Iranian theatre. He also became acquainted with Persian painting.


Career


Playwriting in the 1960s

In 1968, Beyzai was one of the nine founders of the Iranian Writers' Guild, a highly controversial organization in the face of
censorship Censorship is the suppression of speech, public communication, or other information. This may be done on the basis that such material is considered objectionable, harmful, sensitive, or "inconvenient". Censorship can be conducted by governments ...
. In 1969, he was invited to teach at the Theater Department of the College of Fine Arts at University of Tehran. He chaired this department from 1972 to 1979. With his readership many prominent authors and artists started teaching at the department and created the most fruitful period in the history of that department. Beyzaie's groundbreaking ''
A Study on Iranian Theatre '' Theatre in Iran'' (1965) is Bahram Beyzai Bahrām Beyzāêi (also spelt Beizāi, Beyzāêi, fa, بهرام بیضائی; born 26 December 1938) is an Iranian playwright, theatre director, screenwriter, film editor, and '' ostād'' ("mast ...
'' (Namayesh dar Iran), published in mid-1960s is still considered the most important text on the history of Iranian theater. Beyzaie is also the first scholar in Iran to publish books on
theatre of Japan This article is an overview of traditional and modern Japanese theatre. Traditional Japanese theatre is among the oldest theatre traditions in the world. Traditional theatre includes Noh, a spiritual drama, and its comic accompaniment ; kabuki, a ...
and
theatre of China Theatre of China has a long and complex history. Traditional Chinese theatre, generally in the form of Chinese opera, is musical in nature. Chinese theatre can trace its origin back a few millennia to ancient China, but the Chinese opera starte ...
. Some of his plays, such as his masterpiece ''
Death of Yazdgerd ''Death of Yazdgerd'' (or alternatively translated as ''Death of the King''; and whose original subtitle translates "Regicide") ( fa, مرگ یزدگرد) is a Persian play about the death of Yazdegerd III by Bahram Beyzai, often considered his ...
'', have been translated into numerous languages and have been performed around the world. ''
Death of Yazdgerd ''Death of Yazdgerd'' (or alternatively translated as ''Death of the King''; and whose original subtitle translates "Regicide") ( fa, مرگ یزدگرد) is a Persian play about the death of Yazdegerd III by Bahram Beyzai, often considered his ...
'' has been performed in Iran, France, England, India and USA among other countries, and was made into a film of the same name by Beyzai in 1981. ''Death of Yazdgerd'' and ''
Kalat Claimed ''Kalāt Claimed'' ( fa, فتحنامه‌ی کلات, italic=yes) is a play by Bahram Beyzai, written in 1982. Text The play was composed in 1982, with identifiable inspirations from '' Macbeth'', and first published in Tehran early in 1984 b ...
'' have been translated into English by
Manuchehr Anvar Manuchehr Anvar ( fa, منوچهر انور; born 13 October 1928) is a Persian writer, editor, translator, director and former BBC radio presenter''. Translations Into Persian * ''A Doll's House'' by Henrik Ibsen Into English * '' Kal ...
.


1970s and the outset of a cinematic career

In 1969, he began his film career by directing the short film ''Amu Sibilou'' (''Uncle Moustache'') followed by "Safar" in 1970. With these films Beyzai is often considered to be a pioneer of what is called the
Iranian New Wave Iranian New Wave refers to a movement in Iranian cinema. It started in 1964 with Hajir Darioush's second film ''Serpent's Skin'', which was based on D.H. Lawrence's '' Lady Chatterley's Lover'' featuring Fakhri Khorvash and Jamshid Mashayekhi. ...
, a
Persian cinema The Cinema of Iran (Persian: سینمای ایران), also known as the Cinema of Persia, refers to the cinema and film industries in Iran which produce a variety of commercial films annually. Iranian art films have garnered international fame a ...
movement that is supposed to have spontaneously started in the late 1960s, i.e. ignoring earlier efforts by filmmakers such as
Farrokh Ghaffari Farrokh Ghaffari ( fa, فرخ غفاری, 26 February 1922 – 17 December 2006) was an Iranian film director, actor, critic and author. Along with Ebrahim Golestan and Fereydoun Rahnema he was one of the founders of Iran's New Wave film movement ...
and
Ebrahim Golestan Ebrahim Golestan ( fa, , born 19 October 1922) is an Iranian filmmaker and literary figure with a career spanning half a century. He has lived in Sussex, United Kingdom, since 1975. He was closely associated with the eminent Iranian poet Forou ...
, and includes other outstanding directors such as
Nasser Taghvai Nasser Taghvai ( fa, ناصر تقوایی, also romanized as Nāser Taghvā'i and Nāser Taqvāyi; born 10 July 1941) is an Iranian film director and screenwriter. Biography Taghvāi was born in Abadan. After early experiences as a story writer ...
,
Forough Farrokhzad Forugh Farrokhzad ( fa, فروغ فرخزاد; 28 December 1934 – 14 February 1967) was an influential Iranian poet and film director. She was a controversial modernist poet and an iconoclast,* feminist author.Forugh Farrokhzad died at the age ...
,
Amir Naderi Amir Naderi ( fa, امیر نادری (), born 15 August 1946, in Abadan) is an Iranian film director, screenwriter, and photographer. He is best known for '' The Runner'' and ''Vegas: Based on a True Story''. Career Amir Naderi grew up in Abada ...
, Ali Hatami, Sohrab Shahid Sales,
Dariush Mehrjui Dariush Mehrju'i ( fa, داریوش مهرجویی , born 8 December 1939, also spelled as ''Mehrjui'', ''Mehrjoui'', Mehrjooi, and ''Mehrjuyi'') is an Iranian film director, screenwriter, producer, editor and a member of the Iranian Academy of ...
,
Abbas Kiarostami Abbas Kiarostami ( fa, عباس کیارستمی ; 22 June 1940 – 4 July 2016) was an Iranian film director, screenwriter, poet, photographer, and film producer. An active filmmaker from 1970, Kiarostami had been involved in the production of ...
,
Parviz Kimiavi Parviz Kimiavi ( fa, پرويز کيمياوی; born 1939, in Tehran) is an Iranian (Persian) film director, screenwriter, editor and one of the most prominent figures of Persian cinema of the 20th century. Kimiavi studied photography and film at ...
,
Masoud Kimiai Masoud Kimiai (or Masoud Kimiaei, fa, مسعود کیمیایی, born 29 July 1941) is an Iranian director, screenwriter and producer. Biography Kimiai started his career as an assistant director and made his debut, ''Come Stranger'', in 1 ...
and
Fereydun Gole Fereydun Gole ( fa, فریدون گُله; also spelled Fereydoun Goleh) (1941 – 22 October 2005) was an Iranian screenwriter, film director, and film editor. He was active in producing urban drama films throughout the 1970s, dealing with such ...
among others; and soon following
Khosrow Sinai Khosrow Sinai ( fa, خسرو سینایی , 19 January 1941 – 1 August, 2020) was an Iranian film director, screenwriter, composer, poet and scholar. Sinai's work was influenced by documentaries and focused on social and artistic subjects. ...
,
Masoud Jafari Jozani use both this parameter and , birth_date to display the person's date of birth, date of death, and age at death) --> , death_place = , death_cause = , body_discovered = , resting_place = , resting_place_coordinates ...
,
Kianoush Ayari Kianoush Ayari ( fa, کیانوش عیاری; born May 14, 1951) is an Iranian director and screenwriter. He is famous for his realistic style and unique stories like heart transplantation in his movie ''To Be or Not to Be'' (1998) or fate of a te ...
,
Varuzh Karim-Masihi Varuzh Karim-Masihi ( hy, Վարուժ Քարիմ Մասիհի; fa, واروژ کریم‌مسیحی, born 1953 in َArak) is an Iranian-Armenian film director, film editor, and screenplay writer. Biography Born in 1952 in Arak, he had his el ...
,
Ebrahim Hatamikia Ibrahim (also spelled Ibraheem) ( ar, إبراهيم, ) is the Arabic name of the prophet and patriarch Abraham and one of Allah's messengers in the Quran. It is a common first name and surname among Muslims and Arab Christians, a cognate of t ...
and others. Immediately after, in 1971, he made his first feature film "Ragbar" (" Downpour") which is regarded by critics to this day as one of the most successful Iranian films ever made. The successful film addresses the late
Parviz Fannizadeh Parviz Fannizadeh ( fa, پرویز فنی‌زاده, January 27, 1938 – February 24, 1980) was an Iranian actor, film and television star. He was one of Iran's first method actors. Fanizadeh is best known for his roles as Mash Ghaasem in '' M ...
as its central character and protagonist. Since then he has produced and directed 8 films including ''Qaribe va Meh (Stranger and the Fog)'' (1974), '' Cherike-ye Tara (Ballad of Tara)'' (1979), ''
Bashu, the Little Stranger ''Bashu, the Little Stranger'' ( fa, باشو غریبه کوچک, translit=Bashu, Gharibeye Koochak), is a 1986 Iranian drama film directed by Bahram Beizai. The film was produced in 1986, and was released in 1989. This multi-ethnic film was the ...
'' (1986, released in 1989), ''Shāyad Vaghti digar (Maybe Another Time)'' (1988) and ''Mosaferan (Travellers)'' (1992).


Filmmaking in the 1980s

In 1981, the revolutionary leaders started the
Iranian Cultural Revolution The Cultural Revolution (1980–1983; fa, انقلاب فرهنگی: Enqelābe Farhangi) was a period following the Iranian Revolution, when the academia of Iran was purged of Western and non-Islamic influences (including traditionalist unpoli ...
, as a result of which Beyzaie among many others was expelled from the university. He continued writing and making films though. His screenplay ''Ruz-e Vaqe'e'' (''
The Fateful Day ''The Fateful Day'' ( fa, روز واقعه) is a 1995 Iranian Islamic film based on a script of the same name by Bahram Beyzai. The film is directed by Shahram Assadi. Its cast includes many Iranian cinema stars. Wheeler W. Dixon describes it ...
'') was adapted into a film in 1995 and another screenplay was adapted into a film named ''Fasl-e Panjom'' (The fifth season) in 1996, whilst he also made four of his finest films. He also edited
Ebrahim Hatamikia Ibrahim (also spelled Ibraheem) ( ar, إبراهيم, ) is the Arabic name of the prophet and patriarch Abraham and one of Allah's messengers in the Quran. It is a common first name and surname among Muslims and Arab Christians, a cognate of t ...
's ''Borj-e Minu (Minoo Tower)''.


1990–present

He married the actress and make-up artist Mozhdeh Shamsai in 1992. After ''Mosaferan'', he failed to get a permit for the production of a number of screenplays. In 1995, he left Iran for Strasbourg at the invitation of the International Parliament of Writers. Soon however he returned and staged ''
The Lady Aoi ''The Lady Aoi'' is a play written by Yukio Mishima in 1954 which appears in his '' Five Modern Noh Plays''. It modernizes the noh drama '' Aoi no Ue''. English Version Donald Keene has translated this play into English. Notable productions ...
'' in Tehran. In 2001, he made his best-selling film '' Killing Mad Dogs'', after which he managed to stage three plays as well before he left Iran for the United States. He left Iran in 2010 at the invitation of Stanford University, and has since been the Daryabari Visiting Professor of Iranian Studies, teaching courses in Persian theatre, cinema and mythology. There he has given workshops on the ''
Shahnameh The ''Shahnameh'' or ''Shahnama'' ( fa, شاهنامه, Šāhnāme, lit=The Book of Kings, ) is a long epic poem written by the Persian poet Ferdowsi between c. 977 and 1010 CE and is the national epic of Greater Iran. Consisting of some 50 ...
'', the history of Iranian performing arts, Iranian as well as Semitic myths, etc. He has also staged several of his plays including his nine-hour '' Tarabnameh''.


Cinematic style

He is known as the most intellectual and conspicuous "author" in
Iranian cinema The Cinema of Iran ( Persian: سینمای ایران), also known as the Cinema of Persia, refers to the cinema and film industries in Iran which produce a variety of commercial films annually. Iranian art films have garnered international fame ...
and theater. The main theme of his works is the
history History (derived ) is the systematic study and the documentation of the human activity. The time period of event before the invention of writing systems is considered prehistory. "History" is an umbrella term comprising past events as well ...
and "crisis of identity" which is related to Iranian cultural and mythical symbols and paradigms. He is considered as Iran's most prominent screenwriter in terms of dramatic integrity of his works, many of which have been made into films.


Reception and criticism

Critics have often praised Beyzai above all Persian filmmakers as well as playwrights. He was voted the best Persian filmmaker of all time in 2002, and his ''
Bashu, the Little Stranger ''Bashu, the Little Stranger'' ( fa, باشو غریبه کوچک, translit=Bashu, Gharibeye Koochak), is a 1986 Iranian drama film directed by Bahram Beizai. The film was produced in 1986, and was released in 1989. This multi-ethnic film was the ...
'' was voted the finest Persian film of all time. All the same, his formalism has occasionally raised criticism, even from himself.
Ebrahim Golestan Ebrahim Golestan ( fa, , born 19 October 1922) is an Iranian filmmaker and literary figure with a career spanning half a century. He has lived in Sussex, United Kingdom, since 1975. He was closely associated with the eminent Iranian poet Forou ...
, who had previously made objections to Beyzai's style, praised him in a letter in 2017.


Works


Filmography (as director)

* ''Amū Sibilū'' (1969 - short) * ''Safar'' (1970 - short - a.k.a. ''The Journey'') * '' Ragbār'' (1972 - a.k.a. '' Downpour'') * ''Qaribé va Meh'' (1974 - a.k.a. ''The Stranger and the Fog'') * ''Kalāq'' (1976 - a.k.a. ''The Crow'' or ''The Raven'' ) * '' Charike-ye Tārā'' (1979 - a.k.a. ''Ballad of Tara'') * ''Marg-e Yazdgerd'' (1982 - a.k.a. ''
Death of Yazdgerd ''Death of Yazdgerd'' (or alternatively translated as ''Death of the King''; and whose original subtitle translates "Regicide") ( fa, مرگ یزدگرد) is a Persian play about the death of Yazdegerd III by Bahram Beyzai, often considered his ...
'') * ''
Bashu, the Little Stranger ''Bashu, the Little Stranger'' ( fa, باشو غریبه کوچک, translit=Bashu, Gharibeye Koochak), is a 1986 Iranian drama film directed by Bahram Beizai. The film was produced in 1986, and was released in 1989. This multi-ethnic film was the ...
'' (1986 - a.k.a. ''Bashu'' - released 1989) * ''Shāyad Vaghti Digar'' (1988 - a.k.a. ''Maybe Some Other Time'') * ''Mosāferan'' (1992 - a.k.a. ''Travellers'') * ''Goft-o-gū bā Bād'' (1998 - short - a.k.a. ''Talking with the Wind'') * ''Sagkoshi'' (2001 - a.k.a. '' Killing Mad Dogs'') * ''Qāli-ye Sokhangū'' (2006 - short - ''The Talking Carpet'') * ''Vaqti Hame Khāb-im'' (2009 - ''When We are All Asleep'')


Plays

Beyzaie has over 50 published plays, some of which are as follows. These works have occasionally appeared in French, English, German and other translations too. * "Gorob dar Diari Garib" (''Evening in a Strange Land'', translation into English by Gisele Kapuscinski) * "Chahar Sandoogh" (''Four Boxes'', translation into English by M.R. Ghanoonparvar and John Green) * "Hashtomin Safar e Sandbad" ('' Sindbad's Eighth Voyage''
''Le Huitième voyage de Sindbad''
translation into French by
Ahmad Kamyabi Mask Ahmad Kamyabi Mask ( fa, احمد کامیابی مَسْک; born 1944) is a writer, translator, publisher and current Professor Emeritus of Modern Drama and Theater of the Faculty of Fine Arts of the University of Tehran. He is a prominent schola ...
) * ''Ziāfat va Mirās'' (1967 - a.k.a. ''Heritage and The Feast'') * ''Soltān-Mār'' (1969 - a.k.a. ''The King Snake'') * '' Marg-e Yazdgerd'' (1979 - a.k.a. ''Death of Yazdgerd'') * '' Memoirs of the Actor in a Supporting Role'' (1981) * ''
Kalat Claimed ''Kalāt Claimed'' ( fa, فتحنامه‌ی کلات, italic=yes) is a play by Bahram Beyzai, written in 1982. Text The play was composed in 1982, with identifiable inspirations from '' Macbeth'', and first published in Tehran early in 1984 b ...
'' (1982) * ''Kārnāme-ye Bandār Bidakhsh'' (1997 and 1998) * ''Bānū Aoi'' ('' The Lady Aoi (Bahram Beyzai production)'' (1997 and 1998) based on ''
The Lady Aoi ''The Lady Aoi'' is a play written by Yukio Mishima in 1954 which appears in his '' Five Modern Noh Plays''. It modernizes the noh drama '' Aoi no Ue''. English Version Donald Keene has translated this play into English. Notable productions ...
'' by
Yukio Mishima , born , was a Japanese author, poet, playwright, actor, model, Shintoist, nationalist, and founder of the , an unarmed civilian militia. Mishima is considered one of the most important Japanese authors of the 20th century. He was considered fo ...
) * ''Shab-e Hezār-o-yekom'' (The One Thousand and First Night) (2003) * ''Afrā yā Ruz migozarad'' (2007 - a.k.a. ''Afra, or the Day Passes'') * ''Jana and Baladoor'' (2012 - ''A Play in Shadows'') * ''
Arash Arash the Archer ( fa, آرش کمانگیر ''Āraš-e Kamāngīr'') is a heroic archer-figure of Iranian mythology. According to Iranian folklore, the boundary between Iran and Turan was set by an arrow launched by Arash, after he put his own ...
'' (2013 - ''A Play Reading'') * ''Ardaviraf's Report'' (2015) * '' Tarabnameh'' (2016 - ''Part one and Part two'') * ''
Crossroads Crossroads, crossroad, cross road or similar may refer to: * Crossroads (junction), where four roads meet Film and television Films * ''Crossroads'' (1928 film), a 1928 Japanese film by Teinosuke Kinugasa * ''Cross Roads'' (film), a 1930 Brit ...
'' (2009)


Speeches and lectures


Frequent collaborators


Lisar troupe

During the making of '' Ballad of Tara'' in 1978, Beyzai and his crew in Lisar Castle started a troupe whose name remained in use until the 2000s: Lisar troupe.


Awards and honors

The prizes, awards and honors he has won are numerous. *2017, D.Litt. ''honoris causa'',
University of St Andrews (Aien aristeuein) , motto_lang = grc , mottoeng = Ever to ExcelorEver to be the Best , established = , type = Public research university Ancient university , endowment ...
https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/news/archive/2017/title,1283540,en.php *2014
Bita Prize for Persian Arts


References


Additional sources

* * *


External links


Official website
*
Bahram Bayzai's biography on Iran Chamber Society (www.iranchamber.com)
* ''Speaking with Bahram Bayzai; frā Day Passes By'', in Persian, BBC Persian, Sunday 6 January 2008

* ''A short talk with Bahram Bayzai, the celebrated director of film and theatre'', in Persian, Deutsche Welle, Wednesday 26 December 2007
(Main page)
* Najmeh Khalili Mahani, ''Bahram Baizai, Iranian Cinema, Feminism, Art Cinema'', Off Screen, 31 January 2003, ttp://www.horschamp.qc.ca/new_offscreen/baizai.html *Ebrahim Barzegar, ttp://thesevenbeauties.ir/seljuk-station-by-bahram-beyzai/ Seljuk Station by Bahram Beyzai*Ebrahim Barzegar
Senmar Sacrificing Session by Bahram Beyzai
{{DEFAULTSORT:Beyzaie, Bahram 1938 births 20th-century essayists 21st-century essayists 20th-century dramatists and playwrights 21st-century dramatists and playwrights Historians of theatre Iranian children's writers Iranian dramatists and playwrights Iranian film directors Iranian film editors Iranian film producers Iranian emigrants to the United States Iranian essayists Iranian expatriate academics Iranian expatriates in the United States 20th-century Iranian historians Iranian screenwriters Iranian theatre directors Iranian translators Living people Male essayists Mythographers Writers from Tehran Persian-language film directors Persian-language writers Postmodern writers Stanford University faculty University of Tehran faculty Iranian scenic designers Shahnameh Researchers Poets from Tehran