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Widespread homages are pouring in for Bahram Beyzai, a giant of Iranian cinema and theatre, who has died aged 87 while residing in the United States.

A Nation Mourns

The front pages of Iranian newspapers 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 a great loss for the cultural heritage of our country," said Prince Reza Pahlavi, son of the last Shah of Iran.

Although Beyzai's subsequent works were prohibited in the 1980s by the Islamic regime, a host of senior figures in the present administration have also paid tribute his contribution to Persian arts.

The Teacher of a Generation

Several of the current crop of Iranian filmmakers have expressed their gratitude to him. Jaafar Panahi noted that Beyzai taught them "the way to resist oblivion."

Beyzai avoided direct political references in his work, both as a playwright and a film director, and always said he tried not to trade in explicit commentary.

But his oeuvre over many decades places archetypal characters in opposition with authoritarian religious and political systems.

A Cultural Foundation

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

He first found fame as a playwright, 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 pivotal artists in the groundbreaking movement of Persian film.

An Enduring Voice

His most productive period straddled the time of the Shah and then the Islamic theocratic forces that overthrew him—with each regime ever ready to sniff out hidden messages that could be seen as criticism.

"Beyzai did not choose the easy way. He withstood years of marginalization, enforced quiet, and distance, but he never abandoned his language and his convictions," said Jaafar Panahi in his tribute.

A Masterpiece Amidst Conflict

A few years after the 1979 Revolution, he produced what many consider his magnum opus, Bashu, the Little Stranger, about a young child who tries to find shelter from the Iran-Iraq war.

It was censored in Iran—as were other films he made in that time—but later voted by film critics as the best Iranian film of all time.

The film was screened 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 ultimately departed Iran in 2010 and lived out his final days in the US, where he lectured on Persian studies.

Even after he went into exile, his wife, the actress Mozhdeh Shamsai, said just hearing the word "Iran" would still bring tears to his eyes—and he continued to hope for a new culture and tomorrow for his native land.