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Profound tributes have been shared for Bahram Beyzai, a colossus of Persian film and stage, who has died at the age of 87 in the US.

Homeland in Mourning

The headlines of publications in Iran mourn his loss, with dissenting figures and those who look back fondly 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 the exiled prince, son of the last Shah of Iran.

Even though Beyzai's later films were prohibited in the 1980s by the Islamic regime, a number of prominent officials in the current government have also acknowledged his legacy to Iranian culture.

The Teacher of a Generation

Several of the current crop of Persian directors 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 film director, and always maintained he tried not to deal in explicit commentary.

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

A Cultural Foundation

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

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

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

He gained acclaim as one of the pivotal artists in the new wave of Persian film.

Navigating Censorship

His most productive period spanned the time of the Shah and then the revolutionary government that deposed him—with each regime constantly poised to sniff out subtext that could be interpreted as criticism.

"Beyzai did not choose the path of least resistance. 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.

The Little Stranger

A few years after the Iranian Revolution, he produced what many consider his masterpiece, Bashu, the Little Stranger, about a young child who tries to find shelter from the Iran-Iraq war.

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

The film was shown in a restored version at this year's Venice Film Festival, winning an award for best film in the classics section.

A Hopeful 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 hearing the word "Iran" would still make him emotional—and he remained ever hopeful for a renewed spirit and future for his native land.