Zal Batmanglij

We explored cults in 'Sound of My Voice.' I think cults have an underlying spiritual quality.

— Zal Batmanglij

In every public space, everyone has their head down on their phone. Including me.

— Zal Batmanglij

Faith requires a leap; otherwise, it just becomes science.

— Zal Batmanglij

What I'm drawn to most as a filmmaker are these tribes that are seen as 'fringe' cultures. We live in a society…

— Zal Batmanglij

People don't really believe that their computer or sneakers are made by small hands, a child's hands, or a person who is…

— Zal Batmanglij

Especially in America, when you move away from home, sometimes you get disconnected with your grandparents, your friends you grew up with.

— Zal Batmanglij

We would meet truck drivers, and they were like, ''Orange Is the New Black' is my favorite show.' And we're like, 'What?…

— Zal Batmanglij

When I call 'Action,' I love to be surprised. And the actors I've been fortunate enough to work with always surprise me…

— Zal Batmanglij

You just have to make sure you keep living your life, challenging yourself, putting yourself in unusual experiences, thinking about what you're…

— Zal Batmanglij

A good story isn't preachy; a good story is always entertaining.

— Zal Batmanglij

That's the key thing I learned from making 'The East': It doesn't matter what happens in your life, good or bad. What…

— Zal Batmanglij

That's the beauty of filmmaking: it's extremely humbling because you do it all over again all the time.

— Zal Batmanglij

The beauty of 'The OA' or 'Stranger Things' is that they are both made by Netflix for Netflix. And so there was…

— Zal Batmanglij

We want to make a 100 million dollar movie that we have created, in the way James Cameron or Chris Nolan does.…

— Zal Batmanglij

I'm a gay man of colour.

— Zal Batmanglij

If you really want to have an anarchist experience, make a movie with a studio.

— Zal Batmanglij

Group think and groups in general allow you to more fully give yourself to something other than yourself and your betterment -…

— Zal Batmanglij

I don't want to make a 100 hundred million dollar movie I have no stake in.

— Zal Batmanglij

The country gets so beat up in the media. It's worth remembering how much we love America.

— Zal Batmanglij

It's not easy to learn to trust someone and let someone trust you.

— Zal Batmanglij

It really ups your production value when you have one person that you can use as your avatar through a story, but…

— Zal Batmanglij

I think we're really hungry for family in America, especially when I feel like people are really pulled apart from their families.…

— Zal Batmanglij

Violence doesn't interest me very much.

— Zal Batmanglij

I love watching 'House of Cards.'

— Zal Batmanglij

A novel is both a story and a piece of writing. A movie is a story and a piece of filmmaking.

— Zal Batmanglij