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Profound tributes are pouring in for Bahram Beyzai, a giant of Iranian cinema and theatre, who passed away aged 87 while residing in the United States.

Homeland in Mourning

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

"His passing is a great loss for the cultural heritage of our country," said Prince Reza Pahlavi, son of the last Shah of Iran.

Although Beyzai's later films were prohibited in the 1980s by the Islamic regime, a number of prominent officials in the present administration have also paid tribute his contribution to Persian arts.

The Teacher of a Generation

Many of the current crop of Iranian filmmakers have expressed their gratitude to him. Award-winning director Jaafar Panahi said 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 deal in overt messages.

But his work over many decades sets archetypal characters in opposition with authoritarian structures of power.

Roots in Tradition

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

He first rose to prominence as a playwright, inspired by 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 productive period spanned 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 interpreted as criticism.

"Beyzai never opted for the path of least resistance. He withstood years of exclusion, enforced quiet, and exile, but he never abandoned his language and his beliefs," stated Jaafar Panahi in his tribute.

A Masterpiece Amidst Conflict

A few years after the 1979 Revolution, he produced what many consider his masterpiece, Bashu, the Little Stranger, about a young child who tries to take refuge from the Iran-Iraq war.

It was banned 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 screened in a newly remastered print at this year's Venice Biennale, 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 lectured on Persian studies.

Even after he left his homeland, his wife, the actress Mozhdeh Shamsai, said just the sound of the word "Iran" would still make him emotional—and he continued to hope for a new culture and tomorrow for his homeland.