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Widespread homages are pouring in for Bahram Beyzai, a giant of Persian film and stage, who has died at the age of 87 in the US.

A Nation Mourns

The headlines of Iranian newspapers mourn his loss, with dissenting figures and those who reflect nostalgically on the Shah era also offering their respects to Beyzai.

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

Although Beyzai's later films were prohibited in the 1980s by the Islamic regime, a host of prominent officials in the present administration have also paid tribute his contribution to Iranian culture.

A Mentor to Filmmakers

Many of the current crop of Iranian filmmakers have acknowledged their debt to him. Jaafar Panahi noted that Beyzai showed them "how to stand up to oblivion."

Beyzai avoided direct political references in his work, both as a dramatist and a film director, and always said he tried not to deal in explicit commentary.

But his oeuvre over many decades places historical, even mythic figures in opposition with oppressive structures of power.

A Cultural Foundation

Hailing from a lineage of renowned poets, Beyzai was steeped in the deepest traditions of Persian culture from birth.

He first rose to prominence as a playwright, inspired by Persian legend and ritual.

A devotee of cinema, he transitioned to filmmaking in the 1970s.

He gained acclaim as one of the pivotal artists in the groundbreaking movement of Iranian cinema.

An Enduring Voice

His most productive period spanned the time of the Shah and then the Islamic theocratic forces that deposed him—with both systems ever ready to detect subtext that could be seen as criticism.

"Beyzai did not choose the path of least resistance. He endured years of marginalization, imposed silence, and exile, but he never abandoned his artistic voice and his convictions," stated Jaafar Panahi 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 young child who tries to find shelter from the Iran-Iraq war.

It was censored in Iran—as were subsequent works he made in that time—but later chosen by film critics as the best Iranian film of all time.

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

A Hopeful Exile

Beyzai ultimately departed Iran in 2010 and lived out his final days in the US, where he taught Iranian culture.

Even after he went into exile, his wife, the actress Mozhdeh Shamsai, said just the sound of the word "Iran" would still bring tears to his eyes—and he remained ever hopeful for a new culture and tomorrow for his native land.