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

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.

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.

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

You need a team that speaks your language.

Actually, the only thing I regret is not making more underground films and bringing them with me as historical documents.

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.

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