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Profound tributes are pouring in for the legendary Bahram Beyzai, a giant of Persian film and stage, who passed away at the age of 87 in the US.

A Nation Mourns

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

"This loss is a great loss 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 host of prominent officials in the current government have also paid tribute his contribution to Persian arts.

The Teacher of a Generation

Many of the contemporary generation of Iranian filmmakers have expressed their gratitude to him. Jaafar Panahi noted that Beyzai showed them "how to stand up to oblivion."

Beyzai avoided direct political references in his work, both as a playwright and a film director, and always maintained he tried not to deal in explicit commentary.

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

A Cultural Foundation

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

He first rose to prominence as a theater writer, inspired by ancient myths and ceremonies.

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

He won renown as one of the pivotal artists in the groundbreaking movement of Persian film.

Navigating Censorship

His most productive period straddled the time of the Shah and then the revolutionary government that overthrew him—with each regime constantly poised to detect subtext that could be seen as dissent.

"Beyzai never opted for the path of least resistance. He withstood years of exclusion, imposed silence, and exile, but he did not give up his language and his beliefs," said the filmmaker in his tribute.

The Little Stranger

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 censored in Iran—as were other films he made in that time—but later voted by 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 best film in the classics section.

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 Shamsai, said just hearing the word "Iran" would still bring tears to his eyes—and he remained ever hopeful for a renewed spirit and tomorrow for his homeland.