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

A Nation Mourns

The headlines 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.

"This loss is a great loss for the art and culture of our country," said Prince Reza Pahlavi, 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 host of prominent officials in the current government have also acknowledged his contribution to Iranian culture.

The Teacher of a Generation

Many of the contemporary generation of Iranian filmmakers have acknowledged their debt to him. Award-winning director Jaafar Panahi noted that Beyzai taught them "the way to resist oblivion."

Beyzai avoided direct political references in his work, both as a playwright and a cinematic auteur, and always said 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 richest heritage of Iranian artistry from birth.

He first rose to prominence as a theater writer, inspired by Persian legend and ritual.

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

He won renown as one of the key figures in the groundbreaking movement of Iranian cinema.

An Enduring Voice

His most fruitful era spanned the time of the Shah and then the Islamic theocratic forces that deposed him—with both systems constantly poised to sniff out hidden messages that could be interpreted as criticism.

"Beyzai did not choose the path of least resistance. He endured years of exclusion, enforced quiet, and exile, but he never abandoned his language and his convictions," said Jaafar Panahi in his tribute.

A Masterpiece Amidst Conflict

A few years after the 1979 Revolution, he produced what many regard as his magnum opus, Bashu, the Little Stranger, about a small boy who tries to find shelter from the Iran-Iraq war.

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

The film was shown 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 spent his later years in the US, where he taught Iranian culture.

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 renewed spirit and tomorrow for his native land.