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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 in the US.

Homeland in Mourning

The headlines of Iranian newspapers lament his loss, with dissenting figures and those who look back fondly on the Shah era also offering their respects to Beyzai.

"His passing is an immense tragedy for the cultural heritage of our country," remarked the exiled prince, the exiled son of the last Shah of Iran.

Although Beyzai's subsequent works were banned in the 1980s by the Islamic regime, a number of prominent officials in the present administration have also paid tribute his contribution to Persian arts.

A Mentor to Filmmakers

Many of the contemporary generation of Iranian filmmakers have expressed their gratitude to him. Jaafar Panahi noted that Beyzai taught them "the way to resist oblivion."

Beyzai avoided direct political references in his work, both as a dramatist and a cinematic auteur, and always maintained he tried not to trade in explicit commentary.

But his oeuvre over countless years places historical, even mythic figures in opposition with oppressive religious and political systems.

Roots in Tradition

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

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

A devotee of cinema, he moved into filmmaking in the 1970s.

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

An Enduring Voice

His most productive period spanned the time of the Shah and then the Islamic theocratic forces that overthrew him—with each regime ever ready to detect subtext that could be interpreted as criticism.

"Beyzai did not choose the path of least resistance. He withstood years of marginalization, enforced quiet, and distance, but he did not give up his artistic voice and his beliefs," said the filmmaker 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 small boy who tries to find shelter from the Iran-Iraq war.

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 Film Festival, winning an award for outstanding feature in the heritage category.

A Hopeful Exile

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

Although he went into exile, his wife, the actress Mozhdeh Shamsai, said just hearing the word "Iran" would still make him emotional—and he continued to hope for a renewed spirit and future for his homeland.