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Actually, the only thing I regret is not making more underground films and bringing them with me as historical documents.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

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

Eighty is when you order a steak and the headwaiter puts it through the blender. Or when you wake up as many times during the night as Burt Reynolds, but not for the same reason.

The help (in Japan) is very polite. They bow so much, you don’t know which end to talk to.

Free speech isn’t dead in Germany and Italy, merely the speakers.

Clinton’s an unusually good liar. Unusually Good. Do you realize that?

C makes it easy to shoot yourself in the foot; C++ makes it harder, but when you do it blows your whole leg off.

The Army needs leaders the way a foot needs a big toe.

Well, the way things are going, aside from wheat and auto parts, America’s biggest export is now the Oscar.

And the only people I fear are those who never have doubts… Save us all from arrogant men, and all the causes they’re for.