Im free - but Im also not free because there are millions of young people living in Iran. A filmmaker can only do a little.

I used to believe that people are only born once, but now I feel I have been reborn, like I was given a new life. I see myself as a child, full of energy and hope.

I always loved music, and I always wanted to make a film about it, but I could never do it because of the censorship that was around.

In Kurdistan, theres a lot of hardship - a lot of wars, a lot of bitter and difficult lifestyles. And witnessing all those made me a director.

You need a team that speaks your language.

For me, its better to live without looking over your shoulder, worrying about who is controlling your phone, maybe poisoning your food.

I had no education in filmmaking. I started with a 8mm camera. I made 34 films, and little by little I gained more experience in filming.

I love music, I make films with music, I eat with music, I sleep with music, I think with music. Music makes me dream, it strengthens my creativity.

Actually, the only thing I regret is not making more underground films and bringing them with me as historical documents.

I use humour a lot. My foundation is tragic, but my appearance is humorous.

It's not always easy, but it's usually simple.

My memories always clutch my brain to understand the past

If I'm creating something for myself, then I want to have fun.

Perfect heroines, like perfect heroes, aren't relatable, and if you can't put yourself in the protagonist's shoes, not only will they not inspire you, but the book will be pretty boring.

I have lots of fiction in the drawer, but the essays I mostly kick out into the world, ready or not. Fiction incubates differently, I suppose.

I'd rather have my teeth drilled than listen to that awful song, 'Fly, Eagles Fly.'

If there's one thing I really love... it's sad music.

The social states of human kinds Are made by multitudes of minds, And after multitudes of years A little human growth appears Worth having, even to the soul Who sees most plain it's not the whole.

I don't see how you could get used to people screaming in your face, and anyone who says different is lying.

Never let anyone tell you sports doesn't matter. Never let them tell you it's all about the wins, the losses and the stats. Sports is so much more than that.