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Widespread homages have been shared for the legendary Bahram Beyzai, a colossus of Persian film and stage, who passed away aged 87 in the US.

A Nation Mourns

The front pages of Iranian newspapers mourn his loss, with opposition voices and those who look back fondly on the Shah era also paying homage to Beyzai.

"His passing is an immense tragedy for the art and culture of our country," said Prince Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the last Shah of Iran.

Although Beyzai's subsequent works were banned in the 1980s by the theocratic government, a number 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 acknowledged their debt to him. Award-winning director Jaafar Panahi noted that Beyzai showed them "how to stand up to oblivion."

Beyzai steered clear of direct political references in his work, both as a dramatist and a cinematic auteur, and always maintained he tried not to trade in overt messages.

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

A Cultural Foundation

From a family of renowned poets, Beyzai was steeped in the richest heritage of Persian culture from birth.

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

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

He won renown as one of the key figures in the groundbreaking movement of Iranian cinema.

An Enduring Voice

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

"Beyzai never opted for the easy way. He withstood years of marginalization, enforced quiet, and distance, but he never abandoned his language and his beliefs," said the filmmaker in his tribute.

A Masterpiece Amidst Conflict

A few years after the 1979 Revolution, he produced what many consider his masterpiece, 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 time—but later voted by critics as the greatest Iranian film of all time.

The film was shown 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 taught 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 continued to hope for a new culture and future for his native land.