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

A Nation Mourns

The front pages of publications in Iran lament his loss, with dissenting figures and those who reflect nostalgically on the pre-revolution period also offering their respects to Beyzai.

"His passing is an immense tragedy for the cultural heritage 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 host of prominent officials in the present administration have also acknowledged his contribution to Iranian culture.

A Mentor to Filmmakers

Several of the current crop of Persian directors have acknowledged their debt to him. Jaafar Panahi said that Beyzai taught them "the way to resist oblivion."

Beyzai steered clear of overtly political content in his work, both as a playwright and a cinematic auteur, and always said he tried not to trade in explicit commentary.

But his oeuvre over countless years places historical, even mythic figures in opposition with authoritarian religious and political systems.

Roots in Tradition

Hailing from a lineage of celebrated poets, Beyzai was imbued in the deepest traditions of Iranian artistry 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 key figures in the new wave of Persian film.

Navigating Censorship

His most fruitful era straddled the time of the Shah and then the Islamic theocratic forces that overthrew him—with both systems ever ready to detect hidden messages that could be seen as dissent.

"Beyzai did not choose the easy way. He withstood years of exclusion, enforced quiet, and exile, but he never abandoned his language and his beliefs," said the filmmaker in his tribute.

A Masterpiece Amidst Conflict

A few years after the Iranian Revolution, he produced what many consider his magnum opus, Bashu, the Little Stranger, about a small boy who tries to take refuge from the devastating conflict.

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 shown in a newly remastered print at this year's Venice Biennale, winning an award for outstanding feature in the classics section.

Final Years in Exile

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

Even after he left his homeland, his wife, the actress Shamsai, said just hearing the word "Iran" would still bring tears to his eyes—and he remained ever hopeful for a renewed spirit and tomorrow for his native land.