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.

You need a team that speaks your language.

Actually, the only thing I regret is not making more underground films and bringing them with me as historical documents.

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.

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.

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.

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