It's A Mistake And Misconception To Think

It's Very Difficult To Talk About Religion In Iran Because Religion Has Gotten So Mixed Up With Politics.

I Always Feel That A Viewer Has An Expectation About Every Moment Of The Film And Where It's Going, So If I Act Against That, I've Created A Twist. In Fact It Becomes A Kind Of Game With The Expectations Of The Viewer. This Is The Superficial Appearance. In The Layer Beneath There Is A Hidden Theme. The Result Of Each Twist Is That The Judgment Of The Audience Member Is Challenged.

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, The Next Day It's Raining. You Just Have To Hope You Walk Out Into The Sunshine.

I Would Have Had The Same Narrative, Regardless Of The Atmosphere And The Restrictions.

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.