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Widespread tributes have been shared for the legendary Bahram Beyzai, a colossus of Iranian cinema and theatre, who passed away at the age of 87 in the US.

A Nation Mourns

The front pages of Iranian newspapers mourn his loss, with dissenting figures and those who look back fondly on the pre-revolution period also offering their respects to Beyzai.

"His passing is a great loss for the art and culture of our country," said the exiled prince, son of the last Shah of Iran.

Even though Beyzai's later films were banned in the 1980s by the theocratic government, a number of senior figures in the current government have also acknowledged his contribution to Iranian culture.

The Teacher of a Generation

Many of the contemporary generation of Persian directors have acknowledged their debt to him. Jaafar Panahi said that Beyzai showed them "how to stand up to oblivion."

Beyzai steered clear of overtly political content in his work, both as a playwright and a cinematic auteur, and always maintained he tried not to trade in overt messages.

But his oeuvre over many decades places archetypal characters in conflict with oppressive structures of power.

A Cultural Foundation

Hailing from a lineage of renowned poets, Beyzai was imbued in the richest heritage of Persian culture from birth.

He first found fame as a playwright, drawing on Persian legend and ritual.

A lifelong fan of cinema, he moved into filmmaking in the 1970s.

He gained acclaim as one of the key figures in the new wave of Persian film.

Navigating Censorship

His most fruitful era straddled the time of the Shah and then the revolutionary government that overthrew him—with each regime constantly poised to sniff out hidden messages that could be interpreted as criticism.

"Beyzai did not choose the path of least resistance. He withstood years of exclusion, enforced quiet, and exile, but he did not give up his artistic voice and his convictions," said the filmmaker in his tribute.

The Little Stranger

A few years after the 1979 Revolution, he produced what many consider his masterpiece, Bashu, the Little Stranger, about a small boy who tries to find shelter from the devastating conflict.

It was censored in Iran—as were other films he made in that time—but later voted by critics as the best Iranian film of all time.

The film was screened in a restored version at this year's Venice Biennale, receiving an award for outstanding feature in the heritage category.

A Hopeful Exile

Beyzai ultimately departed Iran in 2010 and spent his later years in the US, where he taught Persian studies.

Even after he went into exile, his wife, the actress Mozhdeh Shamsai, said just the sound of the word "Iran" would still make him emotional—and he continued to hope for a renewed spirit and future for his native land.