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Widespread homages have been shared for the legendary Bahram Beyzai, a giant of Iranian cinema and theatre, who has died at the age of 87 in the US.

Homeland in Mourning

The front pages of Iranian newspapers mourn his loss, with dissenting figures and those who reflect nostalgically on the Shah era also offering their respects to Beyzai.

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

Although Beyzai's subsequent works were prohibited 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 contemporary generation of Iranian filmmakers have expressed their gratitude to him. Jaafar Panahi said that Beyzai taught them "the way to resist oblivion."

Beyzai avoided direct political references in his work, both as a dramatist and a film director, and always maintained he tried not to deal in overt messages.

But his oeuvre over countless years sets archetypal characters in opposition with authoritarian religious and political systems.

Roots in Tradition

Hailing from a lineage of renowned poets, Beyzai was steeped in the deepest traditions of Iranian artistry from birth.

He first rose to prominence as a theater writer, inspired by Persian legend and ritual.

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

He gained acclaim as one of the key figures in the groundbreaking movement of Iranian cinema.

Navigating Censorship

His most fruitful era spanned the time of the Shah and then the revolutionary government that deposed him—with both systems constantly poised to detect subtext that could be interpreted as dissent.

"Beyzai did not choose the easy way. He withstood years of marginalization, enforced quiet, 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 small boy who tries to find shelter from the devastating conflict.

It was censored in Iran—as were subsequent works he made in that time—but later chosen 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 best film in the classics section.

A Hopeful Exile

Beyzai finally left Iran in 2010 and lived out his final days in the US, where he lectured on Iranian culture.

Although he went into exile, his wife, the actress Shamsai, said just hearing the word "Iran" would still make him emotional—and he continued to hope for a new culture and future for his native land.