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Widespread tributes are pouring in for Bahram Beyzai, a giant of Persian film and stage, who has died at the age of 87 in the US.

A Nation Mourns

The front pages of Iranian newspapers lament his loss, with opposition voices and those who look back fondly on the pre-revolution period also offering their respects to Beyzai.

"His passing is an immense tragedy for the cultural heritage of our country," said Prince Reza Pahlavi, the exiled son of the last Shah of Iran.

Although Beyzai's later films were prohibited in the 1980s by the theocratic government, a host of prominent officials in the current government have also paid tribute his contribution to Iranian culture.

The Teacher of a Generation

Many of the contemporary generation of Iranian filmmakers have acknowledged their debt to him. Jaafar Panahi noted that Beyzai taught them "how to stand up to oblivion."

Beyzai avoided direct political references in his work, both as a dramatist and a cinematic auteur, and always said he tried not to trade in explicit commentary.

But his work over countless years places historical, even mythic figures in opposition with authoritarian structures of power.

Roots in Tradition

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

He first found fame as a theater writer, inspired by Persian legend and ritual.

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.

An Enduring Voice

His most productive period straddled the time of the Shah and then the Islamic theocratic forces that overthrew him—with each regime ever ready to sniff out hidden messages that could be interpreted as dissent.

"Beyzai did not choose the easy way. He endured years of marginalization, imposed silence, and exile, but he did not give up his language and his beliefs," stated Jaafar Panahi in his tribute.

A Masterpiece Amidst Conflict

A few years after the Iranian Revolution, he produced what many regard as his magnum opus, Bashu, the Little Stranger, about a young child who tries to take refuge 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 shown in a restored version at this year's Venice Film Festival, receiving an award for best film in the classics section.

Final Years in Exile

Beyzai finally left 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 Shamsai, said just hearing the word "Iran" would still bring tears to his eyes—and he continued to hope for a new culture and future for his native land.