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Profound homages have been shared for Bahram Beyzai, a colossus of Iranian cinema and theatre, who passed away at the age of 87 while residing in the United States.

Homeland in Mourning

The front pages of Iranian newspapers mourn his loss, with dissenting figures and those who look back fondly on the Shah era also paying homage to Beyzai.

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

Even though Beyzai's later films were prohibited in the 1980s by the Islamic regime, a number of prominent officials in the present administration have also paid tribute his legacy to Iranian culture.

A Mentor to Filmmakers

Several of the contemporary generation of Iranian filmmakers have expressed their gratitude to him. 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 playwright 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 opposition with oppressive religious and political systems.

A Cultural Foundation

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

He first found fame as a playwright, drawing on ancient myths and ceremonies.

A devotee of cinema, he transitioned to making films in the 1970s.

He gained acclaim as one of the key figures in the new wave of Iranian cinema.

Navigating Censorship

His most fruitful era spanned the time of the Shah and then the Islamic theocratic forces that overthrew him—with each regime constantly poised to sniff out subtext that could be interpreted as dissent.

"Beyzai did not choose the easy way. He endured years of marginalization, enforced quiet, and distance, but he did not give up his artistic voice and his beliefs," stated 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 Iran-Iraq war.

It was banned in Iran—as were other films he made in that time—but later chosen by film critics as the best Iranian film of all time.

The film was screened 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 lectured on Persian studies.

Even after 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 native land.