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

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.

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Actually, the only thing I regret is not making more underground films and bringing them with me as historical documents.

The Friday before winter break, my mom packed me an overnight bag and a few deadly weapons and took me to a new boarding school.

Our main mandate in our place of work is to make sure that the people open up their hearts to others

It's not worth losing your soul to win a guy.

No art ever came out of not risking your neck.

When love and skill work together expect a masterpiece.

Hypocrisy is the homage that vice and wrong pay to virtue and justice .

America is like some crazed, bewildered, rich giant bumbling around in a poor area with his pockets stuffed with money, and lots of weapons - just throwing stuff around.

I do adore food. If I have any vice it's eating. If I was told I could only eat one food for the rest of my life, I could put up with sausage and mash forever.

I think one of the appeals of suspense is to safely explore our innermost fears.

I have a tendency to say 'yes' to a script or no to a script. Not 'yes' based on a rewrite.