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Profound tributes are pouring in for Bahram Beyzai, a giant of Iranian cinema and theatre, who has died aged 87 in the US.

Homeland in Mourning

The front pages of Iranian newspapers lament his loss, with dissenting figures and those who reflect nostalgically on the pre-revolution period also paying homage to Beyzai.

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

Even though Beyzai's later films were banned in the 1980s by the Islamic regime, a number of senior figures in the current government have also acknowledged his legacy to Persian arts.

The Teacher of a Generation

Many of the current crop of Persian directors have expressed their gratitude to him. Jaafar Panahi noted that Beyzai showed them "how to stand up to oblivion."

Beyzai avoided overtly political content in his work, both as a playwright and a film director, and always maintained he tried not to deal in overt messages.

But his oeuvre over many decades sets historical, even mythic figures in conflict with authoritarian religious and political systems.

Roots in Tradition

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

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

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

He won renown as one of the key figures in the new wave of Persian film.

An Enduring Voice

His most productive period spanned the time of the Shah and then the revolutionary government that deposed him—with both systems ever ready to detect hidden messages that could be seen as criticism.

"Beyzai never opted for the easy way. He withstood years of marginalization, enforced quiet, and distance, but he did not give up his artistic voice and his convictions," said the filmmaker in his tribute.

The Little Stranger

A few years after the 1979 Revolution, he produced what many consider his magnum opus, Bashu, the Little Stranger, about a young child who tries to take refuge from the devastating conflict.

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

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

A Hopeful Exile

Beyzai finally left Iran in 2010 and lived out his final days in the US, where he taught Persian studies.

Although he went into exile, his wife, the actress 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.