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

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.

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.

Actually, the only thing I regret is not making more underground films and bringing them with me as historical documents.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

It’s just like we do over here in America, right? It’s amazing that we have presidents over here do the same thing, right?

A player dreams of being a superstar, but he doesn’t want people flocking all over him asking for an autograph.

Move over to Egypt. Once again, the [Barack] Obama administration, encouraged by Republicans, toppled [Hosni] Mubarak who had been a reliable ally of the United States, of Israel, and in its place, [Mohamed] Morsi and the Muslim Brotherhood came in, a terrorist organization.

Once you have traveled, the voyage never ends, but is played out over and over again in the quietest chambers. The mind can never break off from the journey.

It’s all now you see: tomorrow began yesterday and yesterday won’t be over until tomorrow.

I really like The Cars. They’re just so over the top and super pop, but I don’t feel guilty. I’m proud of all the music I listen to.

Wherever it lies, under earth or over earth, the body will always rot.

God’s canopy is over you and will cover you at all times, preserving you from evil.