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

A Nation Mourns

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

"His passing is an immense tragedy for the art and culture of our country," remarked the exiled prince, son of the last Shah of Iran.

Although Beyzai's subsequent works were prohibited in the 1980s by the theocratic government, a host of senior figures in the current government have also paid tribute his contribution to Iranian culture.

The Teacher of a Generation

Many of the current crop of Persian directors 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 playwright and a cinematic auteur, and always maintained he tried not to trade in overt messages.

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

Roots in Tradition

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

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

A lifelong fan of cinema, he transitioned to making films in the 1970s.

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

Navigating Censorship

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 hidden messages that could be interpreted as criticism.

"Beyzai never opted for the path of least resistance. He endured years of exclusion, 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 Iranian Revolution, he produced what many consider his masterpiece, Bashu, the Little Stranger, about a small boy who tries to find shelter from the Iran-Iraq war.

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

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

A Hopeful Exile

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

Although he went into exile, his wife, the actress Shamsai, said just the sound of the word "Iran" would still bring tears to his eyes—and he continued to hope for a new culture and future for his homeland.