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Profound tributes have been shared for Bahram Beyzai, a colossus of Iranian cinema and theatre, who passed away at the age of 87 in the US.

A Nation Mourns

The headlines of Iranian newspapers mourn his loss, with dissenting figures and those who reflect nostalgically on the pre-revolution period also paying homage to Beyzai.

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

Although Beyzai's subsequent works were prohibited in the 1980s by the theocratic government, a host of prominent officials in the current government have also acknowledged his legacy to Persian arts.

A Mentor to Filmmakers

Several of the contemporary generation of Persian directors have acknowledged their debt to him. Jaafar Panahi noted that Beyzai showed them "how to stand up to oblivion."

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

But his work over countless years places archetypal characters in conflict with oppressive structures of power.

Roots in Tradition

From a family of celebrated poets, Beyzai was imbued in the deepest traditions of Persian culture from birth.

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

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

He gained acclaim as one of the pivotal artists in the new wave of Iranian cinema.

Navigating Censorship

His most productive period straddled the time of the Shah and then the revolutionary government that overthrew him—with each regime constantly poised to sniff out hidden messages that could be interpreted as dissent.

"Beyzai did not choose the path of least resistance. He endured years of marginalization, enforced quiet, and distance, but he did not give up his artistic voice and his convictions," stated Jaafar Panahi in his tribute.

The Little Stranger

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 take refuge from the Iran-Iraq war.

It was censored in Iran—as were other films he made in that period—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 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 Persian studies.

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