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

Homeland in Mourning

The headlines of Iranian newspapers lament his loss, with dissenting figures and those who reflect nostalgically on the pre-revolution period also paying homage to Beyzai.

"His passing is an immense tragedy for the art and culture of our country," said Prince Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the last Shah of Iran.

Although Beyzai's subsequent works were banned in the 1980s by the theocratic government, a number of prominent officials in the present administration have also paid tribute his legacy to Persian arts.

The Teacher of a Generation

Many of the current crop of Iranian filmmakers have acknowledged their debt 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 cinematic auteur, and always said he tried not to deal in overt messages.

But his work over countless years sets historical, even mythic figures in conflict with authoritarian religious and political systems.

A Cultural Foundation

From a family of celebrated poets, Beyzai was imbued in the deepest traditions of Persian culture from birth.

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

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

He gained acclaim as one of the pivotal artists in the new wave of Persian film.

An Enduring Voice

His most productive period straddled the time of the Shah and then the Islamic theocratic forces that deposed him—with each regime constantly poised to sniff out subtext that could be interpreted as criticism.

"Beyzai did not choose the easy way. He withstood years of marginalization, imposed silence, and distance, but he did not give up his artistic voice and his convictions," stated the filmmaker in his tribute.

The Little Stranger

A few years after the 1979 Revolution, he produced what many regard as his masterpiece, 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 voted by critics as the greatest 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 outstanding feature in the classics section.

Final Years in Exile

Beyzai ultimately departed Iran in 2010 and spent his later years in the US, where he lectured on Persian studies.

Even after he went into exile, his wife, the actress Shamsai, said just hearing the word "Iran" would still make him emotional—and he remained ever hopeful for a new culture and future for his native land.