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

Homeland in Mourning

The front pages of Iranian newspapers lament his loss, with opposition voices and those who reflect nostalgically on the Shah era also paying homage to Beyzai.

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

Even though Beyzai's subsequent works were prohibited in the 1980s by the theocratic government, a host of senior figures in the present administration have also paid tribute his contribution to Persian arts.

A Mentor to Filmmakers

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

Beyzai avoided overtly political content in his work, both as a playwright and a cinematic auteur, and always maintained he tried not to trade in overt messages.

But his oeuvre over many decades places archetypal characters in opposition with oppressive structures of power.

A Cultural Foundation

From a family of celebrated poets, Beyzai was imbued in the richest heritage of Persian culture from birth.

He first rose to prominence as a theater writer, drawing on ancient myths and ceremonies.

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

He won renown as one of the pivotal artists in the new wave of Persian film.

An Enduring Voice

His most fruitful era straddled the time of the Shah and then the Islamic theocratic forces that overthrew him—with both systems ever ready to detect hidden messages that could be seen as criticism.

"Beyzai never opted for the path of least resistance. He withstood years of marginalization, imposed silence, and exile, but he did not give up his artistic voice and his convictions," said the filmmaker in his tribute.

A Masterpiece Amidst Conflict

A few years after the Iranian 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 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 Film Festival, receiving an award for outstanding feature in the classics section.

A Hopeful Exile

Beyzai ultimately departed Iran in 2010 and lived out his final days in the US, where he taught Iranian culture.

Even after he went into exile, his wife, the actress Mozhdeh Shamsai, said just the sound of the word "Iran" would still make him emotional—and he remained ever hopeful for a renewed spirit and future for his homeland.