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Widespread homages are pouring in for the legendary Bahram Beyzai, a colossus of Persian film and stage, who has died aged 87 while residing in the United States.

Homeland in Mourning

The front pages of publications in Iran lament his loss, with dissenting figures and those who look back fondly on the Shah era also offering their respects to Beyzai.

"His passing is a great loss for the art and culture of our country," remarked the exiled prince, the exiled son of the last Shah of Iran.

Although Beyzai's subsequent works were banned in the 1980s by the Islamic regime, a host 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 Persian directors have acknowledged their debt to him. Award-winning director Jaafar Panahi said that Beyzai showed them "the way to resist oblivion."

Beyzai avoided overtly political content in his work, both as a playwright and a film director, and always maintained he tried not to deal in explicit commentary.

But his oeuvre over many decades places 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 Persian culture from birth.

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

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

He won renown as one of the key figures in the new wave of Persian film.

Navigating Censorship

His most fruitful era spanned the time of the Shah and then the revolutionary government that overthrew him—with each regime constantly poised to sniff out subtext that could be seen as dissent.

"Beyzai never opted for the path of least resistance. He endured 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.

A Masterpiece Amidst Conflict

A few years after the 1979 Revolution, he produced what many consider his masterpiece, Bashu, the Little Stranger, about a small boy who tries to find shelter from the devastating conflict.

It was censored in Iran—as were subsequent works he made in that period—but later chosen by critics as the best Iranian film of all time.

The film was shown in a restored version at this year's Venice Biennale, winning an award for outstanding feature in the heritage category.

Final Years in Exile

Beyzai finally left 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 the sound of the word "Iran" would still bring tears to his eyes—and he continued to hope for a renewed spirit and tomorrow for his native land.