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

Homeland in Mourning

The headlines of Iranian newspapers mourn 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," remarked the exiled prince, the exiled son of the last Shah of Iran.

Although Beyzai's subsequent works were banned in the 1980s by the Islamic regime, a host of senior figures in the present administration have also acknowledged his contribution to Persian arts.

A Mentor to Filmmakers

Several of the current crop of Persian directors have acknowledged their debt to him. Award-winning director Jaafar Panahi said that Beyzai taught them "the way to resist oblivion."

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

But his work over many decades places archetypal characters in conflict with oppressive structures of power.

A Cultural Foundation

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

He first rose to prominence as a playwright, drawing on Persian legend and ritual.

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 Persian film.

An Enduring Voice

His most productive period straddled the time of the Shah and then the Islamic theocratic forces that deposed him—with both systems constantly poised to sniff out hidden messages that could be interpreted as dissent.

"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," stated Jaafar Panahi 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 young child who tries to find shelter from the Iran-Iraq war.

It was banned in Iran—as were subsequent works he made in that time—but later voted by critics as the best Iranian film of all time.

The film was shown in a restored version at this year's Venice Film Festival, receiving an award for outstanding feature in the classics section.

Final Years in Exile

Beyzai ultimately departed Iran in 2010 and lived out his final days in the US, where he lectured on Persian studies.

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