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

A Nation Mourns

The headlines of publications in Iran mourn his loss, with dissenting figures 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, the exiled son of the last Shah of Iran.

Although Beyzai's later films were banned in the 1980s by the Islamic regime, a host of prominent officials in the present administration have also paid tribute his contribution to Iranian culture.

A Mentor to Filmmakers

Many of the current crop of Iranian filmmakers have expressed their gratitude to him. Award-winning director Jaafar Panahi said that Beyzai taught them "how to stand up to oblivion."

Beyzai steered clear of 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 many decades places historical, even mythic figures in conflict with oppressive structures of power.

Roots in Tradition

From a family of renowned poets, Beyzai was imbued in the deepest traditions of Iranian artistry from birth.

He first rose to prominence as a playwright, drawing on Persian legend and ritual.

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

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

An Enduring Voice

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 sniff out subtext that could be interpreted as dissent.

"Beyzai did not choose the easy way. He endured years of marginalization, enforced quiet, and distance, 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 regard as his masterpiece, Bashu, the Little Stranger, about a small boy who tries to take refuge from the Iran-Iraq war.

It was censored in Iran—as were subsequent works he made in that time—but later voted 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 Film Festival, winning an award for best film in the heritage category.

A Hopeful Exile

Beyzai ultimately departed Iran in 2010 and spent his later years 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 make him emotional—and he remained ever hopeful for a renewed spirit and future for his native land.