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Widespread homages have been shared for the legendary Bahram Beyzai, a colossus of Persian film and stage, who has died at the age of 87 in the US.

A Nation Mourns

The headlines of publications in Iran lament his loss, with opposition voices and those who reflect nostalgically on the Shah era also offering their respects to Beyzai.

"His passing is a great loss for the art and culture of our country," said Prince Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the last Shah of Iran.

Although Beyzai's later films were banned in the 1980s by the Islamic regime, a host of prominent officials in the current government have also acknowledged his legacy to Persian arts.

A Mentor to Filmmakers

Several of the current crop of Persian directors have expressed their gratitude to him. Jaafar Panahi said that Beyzai taught 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 trade in explicit commentary.

But his oeuvre over many decades places historical, even mythic figures in opposition with authoritarian structures of power.

Roots in Tradition

From a family of celebrated poets, Beyzai was steeped 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 filmmaking in the 1970s.

He won renown as one of the key figures in the groundbreaking movement of Persian film.

An Enduring Voice

His most fruitful era spanned the time of the Shah and then the Islamic theocratic forces that deposed him—with each regime constantly poised to sniff out hidden messages that could be seen as criticism.

"Beyzai did not choose the path of least resistance. He endured years of exclusion, enforced quiet, and exile, but he never abandoned his artistic voice and his convictions," stated Jaafar Panahi in his tribute.

A Masterpiece Amidst Conflict

A few years after the Iranian Revolution, he produced what many regard as his masterpiece, Bashu, the Little Stranger, about a young child who tries to find shelter from the devastating conflict.

It was censored in Iran—as were other films he made in that period—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 Film Festival, winning an award for best film in the classics section.

A Hopeful Exile

Beyzai finally left Iran in 2010 and spent his later years in the US, where he taught 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 remained ever hopeful for a renewed spirit and tomorrow for his native land.