“I think I’m a classical storyteller. This was my first desire when I learned how to make a film.”

“I wanted my film constantly interact with the audience so that when they leave the theater, my film moves out with them and help them to keep the story alive.”

(Both of these quotes are from the interview with Bijan Tehrani

Fatih Akin’s parents came to live in Germany in the 60s.  His father worked in a dry cleaner’s and his mother was a primary school teacher.  Akin was born in Hamburg and considers himself German, preferring to pick the best from both cultures.  He went to Hamburg’s College of Fine Arts where he studied visual communications and made his first short film in 1995.  His second, Weed, was well received in international festivals.  His first feature film, Short Sharp Shock won the Bronze Leopard at Locarno but it was with Head-On which won the Berlin Golden Bear that he came to international attention.  He is an admirer of Jim Jarmusch.