I believe there's only good cinema and bad cinema.

When we start shooting I don't have rehearsals with characters at all. So, rather than pulling them towards myself, I travel closer to them; it's very much closer to the real person than anything I try to create. So I give them something but I also take from them.

In real life, when someone's partner calls them, they can tell from the first word their partner says what their mood is.

I never really learned photography.

Having an international voice is not really about whether we speak Persian or any other language.

The [Iranian] government grapples with more important issues and we can maybe say that these films don't really exist for them. It's not about whether they like it or don't; it's just not very important to them.

I have no advice for anyone on how to live.