Bahram Beyzai facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Bahrām Beyzai
|
|
|---|---|
| بهرام بیضائی | |
Beyzaie in 2002
|
|
| Born | 26 December 1938 Tehran, Imperial State of Iran
|
| 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) |
| Signature | |
 |
|
Bahram Beyzaie (born December 26, 1938) is a famous Iranian artist. He is a playwright, director for plays and movies, a writer for movie scripts, and a film editor. People call him an ostad, which means 'master', in Persian arts and studies.
Bahram's father, Ne'matallah Beyzai, was a poet. His uncle, Adib Beyzai, was also a well-known poet from the 1900s.
Even though he started making movies later, Beyzaie is seen as a leader of the Iranian New Wave. This was a new style of filmmaking in Iran. His movie, Bashu, the Little Stranger (1986), was voted the "Best Iranian Film of all time" in 1999.
Before making movies, he was already a top playwright and theatre historian. Many people think he is the greatest playwright in the Persian language. He is even called "The Shakespeare of Persia."
Since 2010, Beyzaie has lived and taught at Stanford University in the United States.
Contents
Early Life and Learning
Bahram Beyzaie was born in Tehran, Iran. His father was a poet and writer, and his mother was a housewife. His father worked in law, which allowed him to follow his love for writing.
Discovering Movies and Theatre
When Bahram was about 17, he started skipping school. He would go to movies, which were becoming very popular in Iran. This made him want to learn more about movies and visual arts.
Young Bahram was not very interested in poetry, even though his father, uncles, and cousins were poets. In high school, at Dar'ol-Fonoun, he wrote two plays about history. These became his favorite type of writing.
By the age of 21, he had done a lot of research on traditional Persian plays, especially Ta'zieh. By 1961, he had spent much time studying ancient Persian and pre-Islamic culture and literature. This led him to study Eastern theatre and traditional Iranian arts. This helped him create a new, non-Western style for Iranian theatre. He also learned about Persian painting.
Career Highlights
Writing Plays in the 1960s
In 1968, Beyzaie helped start the Iranian Writers' Guild. This group was important because it stood against censorship. In 1969, he was asked to teach at the University of Tehran's Theater Department. He led this department from 1972 to 1979. Under his leadership, many famous writers and artists taught there. This was a very successful time for the department.
Beyzaie's important book, A Study on Iranian Theatre (Namayesh dar Iran), was published in the mid-1960s. It is still seen as the most important book on the history of Iranian theatre. Beyzaie was also the first scholar in Iran to publish books about theatre of Japan and theatre of China.
Some of his plays, like his famous work Death of Yazdgerd, have been translated into many languages. They have been performed all over the world. Death of Yazdgerd has been shown in Iran, France, England, India, and the USA. Beyzaie also made it into a film in 1981.
Starting a Film Career in the 1970s
In 1969, Bahram Beyzaie began his film career. He directed a short film called Amu Sibilou (Uncle Moustache). After that, he made "Safar" in 1970. With these films, Beyzaie became a pioneer of the Iranian New Wave. This was a new movement in Persian cinema that began in the late 1960s.
Soon after, in 1971, he made his first full-length movie, Ragbar (Downpour). Critics still consider it one of the most successful Iranian films ever made. The movie stars the late Parviz Fannizadeh as its main character.
Since then, he has directed 8 more films. These include Qaribe va Meh (Stranger and the Fog) (1974), Cherike-ye Tara (Ballad of Tara) (1979), Bashu, the Little Stranger (1986), Shāyad Vaghti digar (Maybe Another Time) (1988), and Mosaferan (Travellers) (1992).
Filmmaking in the 1980s and Beyond
In 1981, Beyzaie was removed from the university. However, he kept writing and making films. His movie script Ruz-e Vaqe'e (The Fateful Day) was made into a film in 1995. Another script became the film Fasl-e Panjom (The fifth season) in 1996. During this time, he also made four of his best films. He also edited Ebrahim Hatamikia's movie Borj-e Minu (Minoo Tower).
He married actress and make-up artist Mojdeh Shamsai in 1992. After his film Mosaferan, he had trouble getting permission to make more movies. In 1995, he went to Strasbourg for a short time. However, he soon returned to Iran and staged his play The Lady Aoi in Tehran.
In 2001, he made his popular film Killing Mad Dogs. After this, he managed to stage three more plays before leaving Iran for the United States.
He moved to the United States in 2010 after being invited by Stanford University. There, he has been a visiting professor, teaching about Persian theatre, cinema, and mythology. He has led workshops on the Shahnameh (a famous Persian epic poem), the history of Iranian performing arts, and myths. He has also staged several plays, including his long nine-hour play Tarabnameh.
Filmmaking Style
Bahram Beyzaie is known as a very thoughtful and important "author" in Iranian cinema and theatre. His works often explore themes of history and "identity crisis." These themes are connected to Iranian culture, myths, and symbols. He is considered Iran's most important screenwriter because his works have strong dramatic stories. Many of his scripts have been turned into successful films.
Major Works
Films Directed
- 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
Beyzaie has written over 50 plays that have been published. Some of them have been translated into French, English, German, and other languages. Here are a few examples:
- "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 - also known as Heritage and The Feast)
- Soltān-Mār (1969 - also known as The King Snake)
- Marg-e Yazdgerd (1979 - also known as 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 The Lady Aoi by Yukio Mishima)
- Shab-e Hezār-o-yekom (The One Thousand and First Night) (2003)
- Afrā yā Ruz migozarad (2007 - also known as 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 in 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
