“The films of Beyzaie are seamless blends of myth, symbolism, folklore, and classical Persian literature. Within their dizzying labyrinth of rituals, cinema becomes an act of dreaming.” - Ehsan Khoshbakht, The Guardian
Sunday, June 7, 6:00 p.m. & Tuesday, June 9, 6:00 p.m. | Based on his own play, which he had staged a year earlier, DEATH OF YAZDGERD is set during the final days of Yazdgerd, the last king of the Sassanian dynasty, who was killed in a mill while fleeing the Arab invasion of Iran in the 7th century. The film centers on the miller, his wife, and their daughter, each offering conflicting accounts of the king’s death in an attempt to save themselves—echoing the narrative structure of RASHOMON and rendered in a distinctly Shakespearean style. This highly political and poetic epic is a complex, layered work, offering a masterclass in writing powerful dialogue, actor choreography, camera movement and dynamic, rhythmic editing. The essence of the director’s cinematic vision is crystallized here; the film touches on themes of state repression, familial oppression, and the looming threat of foreign invasion. Despite the original play having passed censorship, the film itself was banned.
Festival of Films from Iran | June 5–11, 2026
This yearly showcase spotlights the innovation, resilience, and humanism of contemporary Iranian filmmakers and acclaimed Iranian auteurs. For the 37th year of the Festival of Films from Iran, we’re honoring influential Iranian filmmaker Bahram Beyzaie with a limited retrospective and presenting a slate of compelling contemporary films by Iranian and Iranian-diaspora filmmakers.
The Film Center is ADA accessible. This presentation will be projected without open captions. The theater is hearing-loop equipped. For accessibility requests, please email filmcenter@saic.edu