Ghobadi is a Kurdish-Iranian film director. His first feature, “A Time for Drunken Horses” (2000), was awarded the Caméra d’Or at that year’s Cannes Film Festival. His latest release, “Half Moon”, which has won awards at the San Sebastián and Istanbul festivals, is out now.

1 Does art make a difference?

Yes, 100 per cent. If we look at history and the events of the world, we find art affects us in a positive way. Art has a very big impact on most events – for example, in a revolution or a transformation of a society.

2 Should politics and art mix?

I think it is better to separate art from politics, because whenever they mix, the art suffers.

3 Is your work for the many or for the few?

I make films for everybody. In our time, there is no separation between the individual and the group.

4 If you were world leader, what would be your first law?

If I were world leader, I would put 60 per cent of the budget into creating cultural and artistic institutions to give art a bigger place in society. I would make some sort of cultural revolution, and clean the world from war.

5 Who would be your top advisers?

My mother and my older sister.

6 What, if anything, would you censor?

I never did censor and will never allow censorship, but maybe I would advise artists not to insult religion or be racist in their work.

7 If you had to banish one public figure, who would it be?

The person who created atomic bombs.

8 What are the rules that you live by?

I have recently understood that the philosophy of life is joy. Therefore, I try to enjoy everything in my life: making films, friends.

9 Do you love your country?

I love my country so much, but I look upon the world as my home. A few days ago, I looked at the sky and saw hundreds of stars and planets, and thought about how small I am, and my planet in this galaxy. But we cannot even take care of this small home.

10 Are we all doomed?

I think about death most of the time, but something inside of me shouts that doom does not exist. We will all be born again in a different place as a different person, and maybe in a different world. When I think like that, it raises my hopes and makes me feel relaxed.

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