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Widespread tributes have been shared for Bahram Beyzai, a giant of Iranian cinema and theatre, who passed away at the age of 87 while residing in the United States.

Homeland in Mourning

The front pages of Iranian newspapers lament his loss, with opposition voices and those who look back fondly on the pre-revolution period also paying homage to Beyzai.

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

Although Beyzai's later films were banned in the 1980s by the Islamic regime, a host of senior figures in the current government have also acknowledged his contribution to Iranian culture.

The Teacher of a Generation

Several of the contemporary generation of Persian directors have acknowledged their debt to him. Award-winning director Jaafar Panahi noted that Beyzai showed them "the way to resist oblivion."

Beyzai avoided overtly political content in his work, both as a playwright and a cinematic auteur, and always said he tried not to trade in explicit commentary.

But his oeuvre over countless years sets historical, even mythic figures in opposition with oppressive structures of power.

A Cultural Foundation

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

He first found fame as a playwright, inspired by Persian legend and ritual.

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

He won renown as one of the key figures in the new wave of Iranian cinema.

Navigating Censorship

His most fruitful era spanned the time of the Shah and then the Islamic theocratic forces that overthrew him—with each regime ever ready to sniff out subtext that could be seen as dissent.

"Beyzai never opted for the path of least resistance. He withstood years of marginalization, imposed silence, and exile, but he did not give up his artistic voice and his beliefs," stated Jaafar Panahi in his tribute.

A Masterpiece Amidst Conflict

A few years after the Iranian Revolution, he produced what many regard as his magnum opus, Bashu, the Little Stranger, about a young child 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 newly remastered print at this year's Venice Biennale, receiving an award for outstanding feature in the classics section.

A Hopeful Exile

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

Although he left his homeland, his wife, the actress Mozhdeh Shamsai, said just the sound of the word "Iran" would still make him emotional—and he remained ever hopeful for a renewed spirit and tomorrow for his native land.