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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 front pages of publications in Iran mourn his loss, with opposition voices and those who reflect nostalgically on the Shah era also paying homage to Beyzai.

"His passing is a great loss 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 number of prominent officials in the present administration have also acknowledged his legacy to Persian arts.

The Teacher of a Generation

Many of the contemporary generation of Iranian filmmakers have acknowledged their debt to him. Jaafar Panahi said that Beyzai taught them "the way to resist oblivion."

Beyzai steered clear of overtly political content in his work, both as a dramatist and a cinematic auteur, and always maintained he tried not to trade in explicit commentary.

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

A Cultural Foundation

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

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

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

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

Navigating Censorship

His most fruitful era straddled the time of the Shah and then the Islamic theocratic forces that overthrew him—with each regime constantly poised to sniff out subtext that could be seen as criticism.

"Beyzai never opted for the easy way. He withstood years of exclusion, imposed silence, and distance, but he never abandoned his artistic voice and his convictions," stated the filmmaker in his tribute.

A Masterpiece Amidst Conflict

A few years after the Iranian Revolution, he produced what many consider 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 shown in a newly remastered print at this year's Venice Biennale, receiving an award for best film in the classics section.

Final Years in Exile

Beyzai ultimately departed Iran in 2010 and spent his later years in the US, where he lectured on Iranian culture.

Even after he left his homeland, his wife, the actress Mozhdeh Shamsai, said just hearing the word "Iran" would still bring tears to his eyes—and he remained ever hopeful for a new culture and tomorrow for his homeland.