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Mohsen Makhmalbaf grew up in a religious and politically active family. Born in 1957 in Tehran, he left school at 11 to earn money to help support his family. At 17, he joined a militant anti-Shah group and in 1974, while involved in activities against the Shah’s regime, was shot and arrested. Shortly after the Islamic Revolution, he was released and began to work as a radio journalist, later founding the Islamic cultural centre Hozeh together with his friends. He is a prolific author, regularly publishing short-stories and screenplays, and has more than 20 novels to his credit. His works have also been translated into many languages. He founded the Makhmalbaf Film School in order to teach his three children. Initially, Makhmalbaf’s first films, such as “Nassouh’s Repentance”, concentrated on depicting the real life of ordinary people. His later works have moved away from unadorned realism to focus more on conveying mood and image. Nearly all of his films have well received at international film festivals and many have won major awards. In “A Moment of Innocence” (1996) he reflects on the situation when he was arrested 20 years earlier.