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

A Nation Mourns

The front pages of Iranian newspapers lament his loss, with dissenting figures and those who reflect nostalgically on the pre-revolution period also paying homage to Beyzai.

"His passing is an immense tragedy for the art and culture of our country," said Prince Reza Pahlavi, son of the last Shah of Iran.

Although Beyzai's subsequent works were banned in the 1980s by the theocratic government, a host of prominent officials in the present administration have also acknowledged his contribution to Persian arts.

A Mentor to Filmmakers

Many of the current crop of Iranian filmmakers have expressed their gratitude to him. Award-winning director Jaafar Panahi said that Beyzai showed 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 sets archetypal characters in opposition with authoritarian structures of power.

Roots in Tradition

Hailing from a lineage of celebrated poets, Beyzai was steeped in the richest heritage of Persian culture from birth.

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

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

He gained acclaim as one of the key figures in the groundbreaking movement of Iranian cinema.

An Enduring Voice

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 sniff out subtext that could be seen as criticism.

"Beyzai never opted for the path of least resistance. He endured years of exclusion, enforced quiet, and distance, 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 Iranian Revolution, he produced what many consider his masterpiece, Bashu, the Little Stranger, about a small boy who tries to take refuge from the Iran-Iraq war.

It was banned in Iran—as were other films 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 best film in the heritage category.

A Hopeful Exile

Beyzai finally left 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 make him emotional—and he continued to hope for a new culture and future for his native land.