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

A Nation Mourns

The front pages of publications in Iran lament his loss, with opposition voices and those who look back fondly on the Shah era also paying homage to Beyzai.

"This loss is a great loss for the cultural heritage of our country," said the exiled prince, son of the last Shah of Iran.

Although Beyzai's subsequent works were banned in the 1980s by the Islamic regime, a number of senior figures in the present administration have also acknowledged his legacy to Iranian culture.

The Teacher of a Generation

Many of the contemporary generation of Iranian filmmakers have acknowledged their debt to him. Award-winning director Jaafar Panahi said that Beyzai taught them "the way to resist 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 deal in explicit commentary.

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

A Cultural Foundation

Hailing from a lineage of renowned poets, Beyzai was imbued in the richest heritage of Iranian artistry from birth.

He first rose to prominence as a playwright, drawing on ancient myths and ceremonies.

A devotee of cinema, he transitioned to making films 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 revolutionary government that deposed him—with each regime ever ready to detect subtext that could be seen as dissent.

"Beyzai never opted for the easy way. He withstood years of exclusion, imposed silence, and exile, but he did not give up his artistic voice and his convictions," said 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 small boy who tries to find shelter from the devastating conflict.

It was banned 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, receiving an award for outstanding feature in the classics section.

A Hopeful Exile

Beyzai finally left Iran in 2010 and lived out his final days in the US, where he lectured on 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 continued to hope for a new culture and future for his native land.