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Profound tributes are pouring in for the legendary Bahram Beyzai, a colossus of Persian film and stage, who has died aged 87 in the US.

A Nation Mourns

The headlines of publications in Iran lament his loss, with dissenting figures and those who reflect nostalgically on the pre-revolution period also paying homage to Beyzai.

"This loss is a great loss for the art and culture of our country," remarked the exiled prince, the exiled 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 paid tribute his contribution to Iranian culture.

A Mentor to Filmmakers

Many of the contemporary generation of Iranian filmmakers have expressed their gratitude to him. Award-winning director Jaafar Panahi noted that Beyzai showed them "the way to resist oblivion."

Beyzai steered clear of overtly political content in his work, both as a dramatist and a film director, and always maintained he tried not to trade in explicit commentary.

But his work over many decades places archetypal characters in conflict with oppressive religious and political systems.

Roots in Tradition

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

He first found fame as a playwright, inspired by ancient myths and ceremonies.

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

He gained acclaim as one of the key figures in the groundbreaking movement of Persian film.

An Enduring Voice

His most productive period spanned the time of the Shah and then the revolutionary government that overthrew him—with each regime constantly poised to detect hidden messages that could be interpreted as dissent.

"Beyzai did not choose the path of least resistance. He withstood years of exclusion, imposed silence, 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 regard as his magnum opus, Bashu, the Little Stranger, about a small boy who tries to find shelter from the devastating conflict.

It was banned in Iran—as were other films he made in that period—but later voted by critics as the best 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 classics section.

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 bring tears to his eyes—and he remained ever hopeful for a new culture and tomorrow for his native land.