How do you like Iran?
It is very nice; it’s warm, in the Netherlands its winter right now. The
City is also a nice one, I liked to see more but we are busy here because we have to watch films all the time. It is my fist time here, when I received invitation letter from this festival I accepted it immediately
Because I like to come here and see Iran. I had heard many different stories about Iran, I wanted to see it myself, and now I can tell you Iranians are very good and sweet people.
What is your idea about 12th MIFF?
It is interesting, I like it, I saw some films like Thirty Three days, I’m interested to see more Iranian films, and they are really nice. I have seen many Iranian films before like Separation. In general I really enjoyed the festival.
How much are you familiar with Iranian cinema?
As I said before I have seen some Iranian films. I also lived in Syria for a while and I saw a lot of Iranian photography, so I am kind of familiar with Iranian art and Iranian style.
What is your opinion about the main theme of the festival?
I think for me as a filmmaker what is important is to making a good film, and sometimes it can have a theme, like resistance. So I think it is interesting but I believe the quality of the film also should be kept when we are trying to convey a certain theme in a film.
As a European how do you feel about resistance concept in cinema?
Well, we did not have a war in country, but I think it is a concern for people who live here, we can not understand its meaning in real sense.
How did you like the screened films in 12th MIFF?
I saw some interesting films; I saw a film about Egyptian Revolution. I wonder how people came together and made a revolution, you know when I was in Netherlands we saw Egyptian revolution and said it is really nice because they are getting something that we have lost for years, I mean unity, they got unity and made a change. It is really impressive. And it was really interesting to see how women came to the streets and took part in revolution. I also saw Thirty Three days film, it was really different from what I had seen before, I mean it was a very direct film. It is about a woman and her difficulties in war, as a European I can not imagine to be in her place. I mean it is very sad to see such things happening in people lives.
What is your idea about position of Iranian cinema in today’s world?
I can not talk about the world, but I think your Oscar winning film Separation is something very good for improving Iranian cinema in the world.
281
