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

Homeland in Mourning

The headlines of Iranian newspapers mourn his loss, with dissenting figures and those who reflect nostalgically on the Shah era also offering their respects to Beyzai.

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

Even though Beyzai's subsequent works were prohibited in the 1980s by the theocratic government, a number of prominent officials in the current government have also acknowledged his legacy to Persian arts.

The Teacher of a Generation

Several of the contemporary generation of Persian directors have expressed their gratitude to him. Jaafar Panahi noted that Beyzai showed them "how to stand up to oblivion."

Beyzai steered clear of direct political references in his work, both as a dramatist and a film director, and always maintained 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 imbued in the deepest traditions of Persian culture from birth.

He first rose to prominence as a playwright, drawing on ancient myths and ceremonies.

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

He gained acclaim as one of the pivotal artists in the groundbreaking movement of Iranian cinema.

An Enduring Voice

His most productive period spanned the time of the Shah and then the Islamic theocratic forces that overthrew him—with each regime ever ready to detect hidden messages that could be interpreted as criticism.

"Beyzai did not choose the path of least resistance. He withstood years of marginalization, imposed silence, and exile, but he never abandoned his language and his beliefs," said Jaafar Panahi 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 Iran-Iraq war.

It was censored in Iran—as were other films he made in that period—but later voted by film critics as the greatest Iranian film of all time.

The film was screened in a restored version at this year's Venice Film Festival, winning an award for best film in the classics section.

A Hopeful Exile

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

Although he went into exile, his wife, the actress Shamsai, said just the sound of the word "Iran" would still make him emotional—and he continued to hope for a renewed spirit and future for his native land.