Playwright Asks: Can War Ever Have a Happy Ending?

Award-winning playwright Aïda Asgharzadeh turns from exile to the enduring scars of war in her latest work. Her new play, "The Last Cedar of Lebanon," explores how individuals cope with violence. It also traces how major geopolitical conflicts affect families across generations. Asgharzadeh is known for using history as a backdrop for personal stories. Her previous hit, "Persian Dolls," wove her family’s experience of exile from Iran into its narrative. She tells FRANCE 24 that building an emotional landscape is central to her writing. Yet, as an Iranian watching current global turmoil, she admits she struggles to imagine a hopeful conclusion to war.