As film-makers, it is very important for us to find common ground between cultures, and maybe that’s less the case for politicians who benefit more from finding the conflicts and differences between us.
I don’t have very complete scripts for my films. I have a general outline and a character in my mind, and I make no notes until I find the character who’s in my mind in reality.
The Iranian government as a whole has no relationship with my films. They’re not particularly interested, perhaps this kind of cinema is not very interesting to them.
Maybe more than a teller, I am a story listener. I really enjoy listening to stories. I remember them and keep them in my mind. All of my films are a collection of small stories that have been told to me.
![Abbas Kiarostami Quote - This [the earthquake] was a very big influence on me, and the issue of life and death from then on does recur in my films.](https://minimalistquotes.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/this-the-earthquake-was-a-very-big-influence-on-me-683x1024.jpg)
