Bahram Beyzai facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bahrām Beyzai
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| بهرام بیضائی | |
Beyzaie in 2002
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| Born | 26 December 1938 Tehran, Imperial State of Iran
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| Occupation | Playwright, director, screenwriter, editor |
| Years active | 1962–present |
| Spouse(s) |
Monir-A'zam Raminfar
(m. 1965; div. 1991)Mojdeh Shamsaie
(m. 1992) |
| Children | 3, including Niloofar |
| Parent(s) | Ne'matallah Beyzai (father) Nayereh Movafegh (mother) |
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Bahrām Beyzāêi (born 26 December 1938) is a famous Iranian playwright, theatre director, and screenwriter. He is considered a "master" (ostād) of Persian arts and studies. Many people call him "The Shakespeare of Persia" because of his amazing plays.
Beyzaie is also seen as a pioneer of the Iranian New Wave in cinema. This was a new style of filmmaking that started in Iran in the late 1960s. His film Bashu, the Little Stranger (1986) was even voted the "Best Iranian Film of all time" by critics in 1999. Since 2010, Beyzaie has been living and teaching at Stanford University in the United States.
Contents
Early Life and Inspirations
Beyzaie was born in Tehran, the capital of Iran. His father was a poet and writer, but Bahram wasn't very interested in poetry at first. Instead, he loved movies!
When he was about 17, he started skipping school to go to the cinema. This made him want to learn more about films and visual arts. He went to Dar'ol-Fonoun high school, where he wrote his first plays, which were about history.
At 21, Beyzaie began studying traditional Persian plays, especially a type called Ta'zieh. He also spent a lot of time researching ancient Persian and pre-Islamic culture. This helped him create a new, unique style for Iranian theatre that was different from Western styles.
A Career in Theatre and Film
Starting as a Playwright
In 1968, Beyzaie helped start the Iranian Writers' Guild. This group was important because it stood up against censorship. In 1969, he started teaching at the University of Tehran's Theater Department. He even led the department from 1972 to 1979, bringing in many other talented artists to teach.
Beyzaie's book, A Study on Iranian Theatre, published in the mid-1960s, is still a very important book about the history of Iranian theatre. He was also the first scholar in Iran to write books about Japanese and Chinese theatre.
Many of his plays have been translated into different languages and performed around the world. For example, his famous play Death of Yazdgerd has been shown in Iran, France, England, India, and the USA. Beyzaie even made it into a film in 1981.
Moving into Filmmaking
Beyzaie started his film career in 1969 by directing short films like Amu Sibilou (Uncle Moustache). These early films helped him become known as a pioneer of the Iranian New Wave in cinema.
In 1971, he directed his first full-length movie, Ragbar (Downpour). Critics still consider this one of the most successful Iranian films ever made. Since then, he has directed eight more films, including Cherike-ye Tara (1979) and Bashu, the Little Stranger (1986).
Later Years and Life in the US
In 1981, Beyzaie was removed from his teaching job at the university. However, he kept writing and making films. He wrote screenplays that were turned into movies like The Fateful Day (1995).
He married actress and make-up artist Mozhdeh Shamsai in 1992. After his film Mosaferan (1992), he had trouble getting permission to make more films in Iran.
In 2010, Beyzaie moved to the United States after being invited by Stanford University. He now teaches courses there on Persian theatre, cinema, and mythology. He has also put on several plays, including his very long nine-hour play, Tarabnameh.
Beyzaie's Unique Style
Beyzaie is known for being a very thoughtful and important "author" in Iranian cinema and theatre. His works often explore themes of history and "identity crisis," connecting to Iranian cultural stories and myths. He is seen as Iran's top screenwriter because his stories are so well-structured and dramatic.
Main Works
Films Directed by Beyzaie
- Amū Sibilū (1969 - short film)
- Safar (1970 - short film, also known as The Journey)
- Ragbār (1972 - also known as Downpour)
- Qaribé va Meh (1974 - also known as The Stranger and the Fog)
- Kalāq (1976 - also known as The Crow or The Raven)
- Charike-ye Tārā (1979 - also known as Ballad of Tara)
- Marg-e Yazdgerd (1982 - also known as Death of Yazdgerd)
- Bashu, the Little Stranger (1986 - also known as Bashu - released in 1989)
- Shāyad Vaghti Digar (1988 - also known as Maybe Some Other Time)
- Mosāferan (1992 - also known as Travellers)
- Goft-o-gū bā Bād (1998 - short film, also known as Talking with the Wind)
- Sagkoshi (2001 - also known as Killing Mad Dogs)
- Qāli-ye Sokhangū (2006 - short film, The Talking Carpet)
- Vaqti Hame Khāb-im (2009 - When We are All Asleep)
Plays Written by Beyzaie
Beyzaie has written over 50 plays. Some of them have been translated into French, English, German, and other languages.
- "Gorob dar Diari Garib" (Evening in a Strange Land)
- "Chahar Sandoogh" (Four Boxes)
- "Hashtomin Safar e Sandbad" (Sindbad's Eighth Voyage)
- Ziāfat va Mirās (1967 - Heritage and The Feast)
- Soltān-Mār (1969 - The King Snake)
- Marg-e Yazdgerd (1979 - Death of Yazdgerd)
- Memoirs of the Actor in a Supporting Role (1981)
- Kalat Claimed (1982)
- Kārnāme-ye Bandār Bidakhsh (1997 and 1998)
- Bānū Aoi (The Lady Aoi (Bahram Beyzai production) (1997 and 1998) - based on a play by Yukio Mishima)
- Shab-e Hezār-o-yekom (The One Thousand and First Night) (2003)
- Afrā yā Ruz migozarad (2007 - Afra, or the Day Passes)
- Crossroads (2009)
- Jana and Baladoor (2012 - A Play in Shadows)
- Arash (2013 - A Play Reading)
- Ardaviraf's Report (2015)
- Tarabnameh (2016 - Part one and Part two)
Awards and Recognition
Bahram Beyzaie has received many awards and honors for his work.
- 2017: Honorary Doctorate of Letters from the University of St Andrews
- 2014: Bita Prize for Persian Arts
- 2012: Farhang Foundation Heritage Award
See also
In Spanish: Bahram Beizai para niños
