Mohsen Makhmalbaf
Mohsen Makhmalbaf
Mohsen Makhmalbafis an Iranian film director, writer, film editor, and producer. He has made more than 20 feature films, won some 50 awards and been a juror in more than 15 major film festivals. His award-winning films include Kandahar; his latest documentary is The Gardener and latest feature The President...
NationalityIranian
ProfessionDirector
Date of Birth29 May 1957
continue five help home open regular school system
Five years ago, Samira did not want to continue in the regular school system in Iran. To help her with her education, I set up a home school. It wasn't just for my family, it was open to other friends.
families films gradually intend
I've heard about brothers making films, but I've never heard about whole families making films like this. We didn't intend to do it; it wasn't something that we planned - it just gradually happened.
afghan cooperation cover ethnic groups lack living none problem though together willing work
A problem was the lack of cooperation of the Afghan community itself. The women, though living in Iran, were under cover and not willing to participate in the film, and none of the ethnic groups were willing to work together or be together.
claim entire everybody holds piece
In Afghanistan, this is the problem, because everybody holds a piece of that mirror, and they all look at it and claim that they hold the entire truth.
chance notice walk watch
I like to watch people, but now when I walk on the streets, before I get a chance to watch them, they notice me, and look at me.
close moment
But yes, of course, in many other films, there's a part of me that does appear, for example, in Close Up, and A Moment Of Innocence.
iran borders afghanistan
There's an 800 kilometer border between Iran and Afghanistan.
style subjects depends
The style depends on the subject.
morning reading thinking
From 7 in the morning to 11 at night, I was reading. I don't think one can find any other time in one's life to be left alone so much to read in peace like that.
culture reason afghanistan
Afghan society is very complex, and Afghanistan has a very complex culture. Part of the reason it has remained unknown is because of this complexity.
film made afghanistan
But also, there are no films being made about Afghanistan.
artist people kind
Usually people like to categorise artists. With my films, I categorise people: if I know which one of my movies you like, I can tell which kind of a person you are.
iran film made
From my films, you can at least learn about Iran, you can get a sense of the history and the society. But no such films have been made about Afghanistan, so you really can't know much about it.
dirty mind world
The question in their minds was, why did the outside world, and particularly the Western world, produce all these landmines, and send them to Afghanistan? This business must be stopped. It's a dirty business to produce such a horrible device.