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Widespread tributes have been shared for the legendary Bahram Beyzai, a giant of Persian film and stage, who passed away at the age of 87 while residing in the United States.

Homeland in Mourning

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

"This loss is an immense tragedy for the cultural heritage of our country," said Prince Reza Pahlavi, the exiled 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 present administration have also paid tribute his legacy to Persian arts.

The Teacher of a Generation

Several of the current crop of Iranian filmmakers have expressed their gratitude to him. Award-winning director Jaafar Panahi noted that Beyzai taught them "the way to resist oblivion."

Beyzai avoided overtly political content in his work, both as a dramatist and a film director, and always said he tried not to trade in explicit commentary.

But his work over countless years places historical, even mythic figures in conflict with authoritarian structures of power.

A Cultural Foundation

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

He first rose to prominence as a playwright, drawing on ancient myths and ceremonies.

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

He gained acclaim as one of the key figures in the groundbreaking movement of Persian film.

An Enduring Voice

His most fruitful era straddled 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 interpreted as dissent.

"Beyzai did not choose the easy way. He withstood years of marginalization, enforced quiet, and exile, but he did not give up his language and his beliefs," stated Jaafar Panahi in his tribute.

A Masterpiece Amidst Conflict

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 banned 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 shown in a newly remastered print at this year's Venice Biennale, receiving an award for best film in the classics section.

A Hopeful Exile

Beyzai finally left Iran in 2010 and lived out his final days in the US, where he lectured on Iranian culture.

Although he went into exile, his wife, the actress Shamsai, said just the sound of the word "Iran" would still make him emotional—and he remained ever hopeful for a renewed spirit and future for his native land.