Afshin Hashemi on Bahram Beyzaie's Life and Legacy

On March 6, 2026 the Iranian Studies Program celebrated the life and legacy of Professor Bahram Beyzaie (1938-2025) with a series of talks and a film tribute. Professor Beyzaie was a celebrated Iranian playwright, filmmaker, critic, scholar, and stage director. He taught at Stanford University's Iranian Studies Program as the Daryabari Visiting Lecturer from 2010-2025. Learn more: https://iranian-studies.stanford.edu/... Afshin Hashemi, born in Tehran, is a prominent Iranian actor, director, and playwright who is recognized for his nuanced performances and thoughtful direction, often weaving poetic narratives with deep cultural resonance. He earned an MFA in directing from Tehran University of Art. In cinema, Hashemi has directed and acted in several notable films and television series. About Bahram Beyzaie: Born in December 1938 in Tehran to a family of poets and literary scholars, Bahram Beyzaie was first introduced to Western audiences in 1963 when his play was staged at the Festival du Théâtre des Nations in Paris. Beyzaie later became Professor and Chair of the Dramatic Arts Department at Tehran University until the Islamic Revolution. He has published over 35 plays and more than 50 screenplays—many translated into several languages—and directed numerous stage productions in Iran and the U.S. From 2010 to 2025, he served as the Daryabari Visiting Lecturer in Iranian Studies at Stanford University, teaching Iranian cinema, theater, and mythology while directing innovative theatrical and shadow play productions. Through Stanford's Festival of Iranian Arts, Professor Beyzaie staged eight performances of his original plays: Jana and Baladoor, Arash, Ardaviraf's Report, Tarabnameh (part 1 and 2), Crossroads, and Dash Akol According to Marjan (part 1 and 2). As a filmmaker, Beyzaie was a leading figure of the Iranian New Wave. He directed ten feature films, including Downpour; The Ballad of Tara; Death of Yazdgerd; Bashu, The Little Stranger; and The Travelers, earning numerous national and international awards, most recently from the Venice Film Festival for Bashu, The Little Stranger. His scholarly contributions include major studies on Iranian, Japanese, and Chinese theater, research on One Thousand and One Nights, and a book on Alfred Hitchcock’s films. His comprehensive work Theatre in Iran (1965) remains an authoritative account of Iranian theater history. Learn more: beyzaie.stanford.edu