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Profound homages have been shared for the legendary Bahram Beyzai, a giant of Persian film and stage, who passed away at the age of 87 in the US.

A Nation Mourns

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

"This loss is an immense tragedy for the art and culture of our country," said Prince Reza Pahlavi, son of the last Shah of Iran.

Although Beyzai's later films were banned in the 1980s by the theocratic government, a host of senior figures in the current government have also acknowledged his legacy to Iranian culture.

The Teacher of a Generation

Many of the contemporary generation of Iranian filmmakers have acknowledged their debt to him. Award-winning director Jaafar Panahi said that Beyzai showed them "the way to resist oblivion."

Beyzai avoided overtly political content in his work, both as a dramatist and a cinematic auteur, and always said he tried not to trade in overt messages.

But his work over many decades places historical, even mythic figures in opposition with authoritarian religious and political systems.

Roots in Tradition

From a family of celebrated poets, Beyzai was imbued in the richest heritage of Iranian artistry from birth.

He first rose to prominence as a theater writer, drawing on Persian legend and ritual.

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

He won renown as one of the pivotal artists in the new wave of Persian film.

Navigating Censorship

His most productive period straddled the time of the Shah and then the revolutionary government that overthrew him—with each regime constantly poised to detect hidden messages that could be seen as dissent.

"Beyzai never opted for the easy way. He withstood years of marginalization, enforced quiet, and exile, but he never abandoned his language and his convictions," stated Jaafar Panahi in his tribute.

The Little Stranger

A few years after the 1979 Revolution, he produced what many regard as his masterpiece, Bashu, the Little Stranger, about a young child who tries to find shelter from the Iran-Iraq war.

It was banned in Iran—as were other films he made in that period—but later chosen by critics as the greatest Iranian film of all time.

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

Final Years in Exile

Beyzai finally left Iran in 2010 and lived out his final days in the US, where he lectured on 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 remained ever hopeful for a renewed spirit and tomorrow for his native land.