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Widespread homages have been shared for Bahram Beyzai, a giant of Persian film and stage, who passed away aged 87 while residing in the United States.

Homeland in Mourning

The headlines of Iranian newspapers lament his loss, with opposition voices and those who look back fondly on the Shah era also paying homage to Beyzai.

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

Even though Beyzai's later films were prohibited in the 1980s by the Islamic regime, a host of senior figures in the present administration have also acknowledged his legacy to Persian arts.

A Mentor to Filmmakers

Several of the current crop of Persian directors have acknowledged their debt to him. Jaafar Panahi noted that Beyzai showed 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 countless years sets historical, even mythic figures in conflict with oppressive religious and political systems.

Roots in Tradition

Hailing from a lineage of celebrated poets, Beyzai was steeped in the deepest traditions of Persian culture from birth.

He first found fame as a theater writer, drawing on Persian legend and ritual.

A devotee 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 spanned the time of the Shah and then the Islamic theocratic forces that deposed him—with both systems ever ready to sniff out subtext that could be seen as criticism.

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

The Little Stranger

A few years after the 1979 Revolution, he produced what many regard as his magnum opus, Bashu, the Little Stranger, about a young child who tries to find shelter from the Iran-Iraq war.

It was censored in Iran—as were other films he made in that time—but later voted by critics as the greatest Iranian film of all time.

The film was shown in a newly remastered print at this year's Venice Film Festival, winning an award for outstanding feature in the heritage category.

Final Years in Exile

Beyzai finally left Iran in 2010 and spent his later years in the US, where he taught Persian studies.

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 homeland.