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

A Nation Mourns

The headlines of publications in Iran lament his loss, with dissenting figures and those who look back fondly on the pre-revolution period also paying homage to Beyzai.

"His passing is a great loss for the cultural heritage of our country," said Prince Reza Pahlavi, son of the last Shah of Iran.

Even though Beyzai's later films were prohibited in the 1980s by the Islamic regime, a host of prominent officials in the present administration have also acknowledged his contribution to Persian arts.

A Mentor to Filmmakers

Several of the current crop of Persian directors have expressed their gratitude to him. Award-winning director Jaafar Panahi noted that Beyzai taught 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 maintained he tried not to trade in explicit commentary.

But his oeuvre over countless years sets archetypal characters in opposition with oppressive religious and political systems.

A Cultural Foundation

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

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

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

He won renown as one of the key figures in the new wave of Iranian cinema.

Navigating Censorship

His most productive period straddled the time of the Shah and then the Islamic theocratic forces that overthrew him—with each regime ever ready to sniff out hidden messages that could be seen as criticism.

"Beyzai never opted for the path of least resistance. He endured years of marginalization, enforced quiet, and distance, but he did not give up his artistic voice and his convictions," stated Jaafar Panahi in his tribute.

A Masterpiece Amidst Conflict

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

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

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

A Hopeful Exile

Beyzai finally left Iran in 2010 and lived out his final days in the US, where he taught Persian studies.

Although he left his homeland, his wife, the actress Shamsai, said just hearing the word "Iran" would still make him emotional—and he remained ever hopeful for a renewed spirit and tomorrow for his native land.