Beyzai’s Bashu: Exploring Tuchés of Iranian Body

Bahram Beyzaie’s 1989 film, Bashu: The Little Stranger, presents a distinct portrayal of the social suffering endured by Iranian civilians during the Iran-Iraq war. Through this work, Beyzaie depicts how the traumas of war, particularly those experienced by civilian populations residing near borders, can permeate throughout a country, exacerbating preexisting wounds of a nation. Beyzaie’s genuine narrative style and captivating cinematography are conjoined to showcase how historical traumas can challenge the myth of a unified nation and engender new divisions within the social fabric. This paper argues that Beyzaie advocates for a politics of inclusion and embracement of diversity as the best democratic strategy for reconstructing and healing a nation as diverse as Iran during trying times.