His directorial philosophy began to crystallize during this period. Aish rejected commercialism and theatrical spectacle, instead favoring what he called “the minimal encounter” — a form of performance that strips away ornamentation to reveal the essence of human experience. In his own words, “Theater should be like breathing — simple, necessary, and invisible until it stops.”
Throughout his years abroad, Aish directed and acted in over 30 plays in both Persian and English, ranging from adaptations of Shakespeare and Chekhov to original works reflecting themes of exile, alienation, and existential choice. His multilingualism and exposure to different cultures allowed him to interpret characters not merely as roles but as philosophical inquiries into the human condition.
Return to Iran and Cultural Reconnection
After 27 years abroad, Farhad Aish returned to Iran in 1997, a period marked by both political transition and artistic revival. The presidency of Mohammad Khatami (1997–2005) had opened limited cultural spaces for filmmakers, writers, and theater practitioners to explore social themes with renewed creativity. Aish’s return coincided with this cultural thaw, and his cosmopolitan sensibility was welcomed by Iran’s new generation of artists and intellectuals.
