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Widespread tributes have been shared for the legendary Bahram Beyzai, a colossus of Iranian cinema and theatre, who passed away aged 87 in the US.

A Nation Mourns

The front pages of publications in Iran lament his loss, with dissenting figures and those who look back fondly on the pre-revolution period also offering their respects to Beyzai.

"His passing is a great loss for the art and culture of our country," remarked the exiled prince, son of the last Shah of Iran.

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

A Mentor to Filmmakers

Many 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 avoided overtly political content in his work, both as a dramatist and a cinematic auteur, and always said he tried not to trade in explicit commentary.

But his work over countless years sets historical, even mythic figures in opposition with authoritarian religious and political systems.

Roots in Tradition

From a family of celebrated poets, Beyzai was imbued in the deepest traditions of Iranian artistry from birth.

He first found fame as a playwright, drawing on ancient myths and ceremonies.

A lifelong fan of cinema, he transitioned to making films in the 1970s.

He gained acclaim as one of the pivotal artists 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 deposed him—with both systems constantly poised to detect hidden messages that could be seen as criticism.

"Beyzai never opted for the path of least resistance. He endured years of exclusion, enforced quiet, and exile, but he did not give up his artistic voice and his convictions," said Jaafar Panahi in his tribute.

A Masterpiece Amidst Conflict

A few years after the 1979 Revolution, he produced what many regard as his masterpiece, 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 period—but later voted 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, receiving an award for outstanding feature in the heritage category.

Final Years in Exile

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

Even after he left his homeland, his wife, the actress Shamsai, said just the sound of the word "Iran" would still make him emotional—and he continued to hope for a renewed spirit and future for his native land.