When you want to make a film abroad, you need producers and people who support you. You need a team that speaks your language.

In Iranian cinema, all the lying takes place before making the film. In order to be able to make the film, you have to lie.

It feels very, very good to make a film freely, to work without having to wait years for script approval, without looking over your shoulder.

I'm very much interested in music specifically and wanted to make a film about it, but not in an atmosphere of censorship.

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 went to underground music studios. In the studios, I learned that you can make a movie without a permit.