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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 headlines of Iranian newspapers lament his loss, with opposition voices and those who reflect nostalgically on the Shah era also offering their respects to Beyzai.

"This loss is an immense tragedy for the art and culture of our country," said the exiled prince, the exiled son of the last Shah of Iran.

Although Beyzai's subsequent works were banned in the 1980s by the theocratic government, a host of senior figures in the present administration have also paid tribute his contribution to Iranian culture.

A Mentor to Filmmakers

Many of the current crop of Persian directors have acknowledged their debt to him. Award-winning director Jaafar Panahi noted 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 said he tried not to deal in explicit commentary.

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

A Cultural Foundation

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

He first rose to prominence as a playwright, inspired by ancient myths and ceremonies.

A devotee of cinema, he moved into filmmaking 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 spanned the time of the Shah and then the revolutionary government that deposed him—with each regime constantly poised to detect subtext that could be seen as criticism.

"Beyzai never opted for the easy way. He withstood years of exclusion, enforced quiet, and exile, but he never abandoned his language and his convictions," said the filmmaker in his tribute.

A Masterpiece Amidst Conflict

A few years after the 1979 Revolution, he produced what many regard as 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 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.

A Hopeful Exile

Beyzai ultimately departed Iran in 2010 and spent his later years in the US, where he lectured on 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 new culture and future for his native land.