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Profound tributes have been shared for Bahram Beyzai, a colossus of Iranian cinema and theatre, who has died aged 87 while residing in the United States.

A Nation Mourns

The headlines of publications in Iran 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, son of the last Shah of Iran.

Although Beyzai's subsequent works were prohibited in the 1980s by the theocratic government, a host of senior figures in the current government have also paid tribute his contribution to Iranian culture.

The Teacher of a Generation

Many of the current crop of Iranian filmmakers have expressed their gratitude to him. Jaafar Panahi said that Beyzai taught them "the way to resist 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 oeuvre over countless years sets archetypal characters in conflict with authoritarian structures of power.

A Cultural Foundation

Hailing from a lineage 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 devotee of cinema, he transitioned to making films in the 1970s.

He won renown as one of the pivotal artists in the new wave of Persian film.

An Enduring Voice

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 hidden messages that could be interpreted as dissent.

"Beyzai never opted for the path of least resistance. He withstood years of exclusion, imposed silence, and distance, but he never abandoned his artistic voice and his beliefs," stated the filmmaker in his tribute.

A Masterpiece Amidst Conflict

A few years after the 1979 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 Iran-Iraq war.

It was banned in Iran—as were other films he made in that time—but later chosen by critics as the best Iranian film of all time.

The film was shown in a restored version at this year's Venice Film Festival, receiving 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.

Even after he went into exile, 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 new culture and tomorrow for his native land.