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Profound tributes are pouring in for Bahram Beyzai, a colossus of Iranian cinema and theatre, who passed away at the age of 87 in the US.

Homeland in Mourning

The front pages of publications in Iran mourn his loss, with opposition voices and those who look back fondly on the Shah era also offering their respects to Beyzai.

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

Even though Beyzai's subsequent works were banned in the 1980s by the Islamic regime, a host of prominent officials in the present administration have also paid tribute his legacy to Persian arts.

The Teacher of a Generation

Several of the contemporary generation of Iranian filmmakers have expressed their gratitude to him. Award-winning director Jaafar Panahi noted that Beyzai taught them "how to stand up to 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 trade in overt messages.

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

A Cultural Foundation

Hailing from a lineage of renowned poets, Beyzai was imbued in the richest heritage of Persian culture from birth.

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

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

He won renown as one of the key figures in the new wave of Iranian cinema.

An Enduring Voice

His most fruitful era straddled the time of the Shah and then the revolutionary government that overthrew him—with both systems ever ready to detect subtext that could be seen as dissent.

"Beyzai did not choose the easy way. He endured years of marginalization, imposed silence, and exile, but he never abandoned 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 consider his masterpiece, Bashu, the Little Stranger, about a young child who tries to take refuge from the Iran-Iraq war.

It was banned in Iran—as were other films he made in that time—but later chosen by critics as the greatest 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 classics section.

Final Years in Exile

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

Although he went into exile, his wife, the actress Mozhdeh Shamsai, said just hearing the word "Iran" would still bring tears to his eyes—and he continued to hope for a renewed spirit and tomorrow for his native land.