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Widespread tributes are pouring in for Bahram Beyzai, a colossus of Persian film and stage, who passed away at the age of 87 while residing in the United States.

A Nation Mourns

The headlines of Iranian newspapers mourn his loss, with opposition voices and those who reflect nostalgically on the pre-revolution period also paying homage to Beyzai.

"This loss is a great loss for the art and culture of our country," said the exiled prince, son of the last Shah of Iran.

Even though Beyzai's subsequent works were banned in the 1980s by the theocratic government, a host of senior figures in the present administration have also acknowledged his legacy to Persian arts.

A Mentor to Filmmakers

Many of the contemporary generation of Persian directors have expressed their gratitude to him. Award-winning director Jaafar Panahi said that Beyzai taught them "the way to resist oblivion."

Beyzai steered clear of overtly political content in his work, both as a dramatist and a film director, and always said he tried not to deal in explicit commentary.

But his oeuvre over many decades places historical, even mythic figures in opposition with oppressive structures of power.

A Cultural Foundation

From a family of celebrated poets, Beyzai was steeped in the richest heritage of Persian culture from birth.

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

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

He gained acclaim as one of the key figures in the groundbreaking movement 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 both systems constantly poised to sniff out subtext that could be interpreted as dissent.

"Beyzai did not choose the easy way. He withstood years of exclusion, enforced quiet, and exile, but he did not give up his language and his beliefs," stated the filmmaker in his tribute.

A Masterpiece Amidst Conflict

A few years after the Iranian Revolution, he produced what many consider his masterpiece, Bashu, the Little Stranger, about a small boy who tries to find shelter from the devastating conflict.

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 restored version at this year's Venice Film Festival, receiving an award for best film in the heritage category.

A Hopeful Exile

Beyzai finally left Iran in 2010 and spent his later years in the US, where he lectured on Iranian culture.

Even after he left his homeland, his wife, the actress Shamsai, said just the sound of the word "Iran" would still bring tears to his eyes—and he remained ever hopeful for a renewed spirit and tomorrow for his homeland.