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Widespread tributes are pouring in for the legendary Bahram Beyzai, a giant of Iranian cinema and theatre, who has died at the age of 87 in the US.

Homeland in Mourning

The front pages of publications in Iran mourn his loss, with opposition voices and those who look back fondly on the Shah era also offering their respects to Beyzai.

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

Although Beyzai's later films were prohibited in the 1980s by the theocratic government, a number of senior figures in the present administration have also acknowledged his contribution to Iranian culture.

The Teacher of a Generation

Several of the contemporary generation of Persian directors have expressed their gratitude to him. Award-winning director Jaafar Panahi noted that Beyzai showed them "the way to resist oblivion."

Beyzai avoided direct political references in his work, both as a playwright and a cinematic auteur, and always maintained he tried not to trade in overt messages.

But his work over many decades sets archetypal characters in opposition with oppressive structures of power.

A Cultural Foundation

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

He first found fame as a playwright, drawing on ancient myths and ceremonies.

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

He won renown as one of the pivotal artists in the new wave of Iranian cinema.

Navigating Censorship

His most productive period spanned the time of the Shah and then the revolutionary government that deposed him—with each regime ever ready to sniff out subtext that could be interpreted as criticism.

"Beyzai did not choose the path of least resistance. He endured years of marginalization, enforced quiet, and distance, but he did not give up his language and his convictions," stated the filmmaker in his tribute.

A Masterpiece Amidst Conflict

A few years after the Iranian Revolution, he produced what many regard as his magnum opus, Bashu, the Little Stranger, about a small boy 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 voted by 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 outstanding feature in the heritage category.

Final Years in 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 hearing the word "Iran" would still bring tears to his eyes—and he continued to hope for a new culture and future for his native land.