It’s very difficult to talk about religion in Iran because religion has gotten so mixed up with politics.

I would have had the same narrative, regardless of the atmosphere and the restrictions.

When we talk about self-confrontations, we are speaking about moral issues rather than social issues.

Unless you’re trying to make a movie on the sly, there’s no way to get around this. If you want to use public spaces, film on the streets, have the cooperation of the police, you...

I feel it’s important to talk about the complex issues affecting us.

Poetry, especially traditional Iranian poetry, is very good at looking at things from a number of different angles simultaneously.

I think it’s insulting to an audience to make them sit and watch a film and then give them a message in one sentence.

The fact is I’m not making a film in order to draw pictures or make images about Iran.

The bigger confrontation is the one an individual has with itself.

I gained a great deal from the period during which I worked in theater and I value those things a great deal.

Iranian filmmakers are not passive. They fight whenever they can, as creative expression means a lot to them. The restrictions and censorship in Iran are a bit like the British weather: one day it’s sunny,...

When I came to know theater, drama became valuable to me.

It’s been interesting to see how similar audiences in the East and West are, actually, and how it makes you realize that when politicians emphasize the differences between our cultures, it’s usually because it benefits...

Classical tragedy was the war between good and evil. We wanted evil to be defeated and good to be victorious. But the battle in modern tragedy is between good and good. And no matter which...

Often times, music is used to evoke an emotion and it’s become a cliche, so I don’t want to do that, and actually what I do, is that emotional intensity that has developed throughout the...

I like storytelling movies and more than that I like historical movies; and I think someday I’ll definitely make a movie about the past 50 years history.

I tend to jot down moments, lines, interactions that don’t really make any sense. I try and explain these scattered notes to my close friends, and they become more and more logical. I see screenwriting...

When I decide to write a story, I don’t think too much about what I want it to be, I just let things come naturally and this is how it turns out. It’s just how...

There are those who simply want to live their lives, and feel they cannot live the way they want to in Iran. Others are ideologically motivated: They will stay no matter what and try to...

There is no privilege in restriction. In other words, I disagree with people who say restriction makes you more creative. I think that’s a misleading slogan. I might have been more creative without them than...

Each person makes their own choice, but my spirit is meant to stay in Iran, especially with the work that I do, and with the emotional connection I have with the country – with all...

It’s not some big event that creates the drama, it’s the little things of everyday life that bring about that drama.

I feel that it means a lot to the people of Iran that my film is represented at the Oscars, and it makes me happy to bring them that joy, that I’m representing them and...

Is there one specific source that determines correct morality and everybody should follow that? Or should individuals come up with following that source or not depending on their situation?

I prefer to stay in my country. But this doesn’t mean if someone does want to leave Iran, I think they’ve done something wrong – the desire to leave is completely understandable.