You have to be narcissistic to be an artist. You have to think you are the centre of the whole thing otherwise why do you create? The only thing is to recognise it, and then you make the best of it. Marjane Satrapi More Quotes by Marjane Satrapi More Quotes From Marjane Satrapi You know, they say in France that translation is like a woman: she is either beautiful or faithful. Marjane Satrapi faithfulfrancebeautiful I had learned that you should always shout louder than your aggressor. Marjane Satrapi aggressorsshould You never have these moments that, you know, are always perfect. Always something happens. Marjane Satrapi momentsperfecthappens Hunger eats civilization. The West is not hungry; that's why they can say they're so civilized. Civilization is the biggest bluff! Marjane Satrapi hungerwestcivilization I became the voice of a generation in a very surprising way, because many Iranians recognize themselves in it. But that is not what I wanted. Marjane Satrapi generationsvoiceway For me George Bush is just as scary, if not more. Because he doesn't look like a scary guy, because he's shaved and he has a tie on. But he's a real fanatic - a fanatic by definition is the one who says, if you are not with me, you are against me, and that's exactly the position he takes. The mullahs in my country, it's obvious. But a guy who says I am the president of the biggest secular democracy in the world and asks people to read the Bible and make crusades and says he's God's best friend - this guy is even more scary because you don't see it at the beginning. Marjane Satrapi tiesrealcountry We found ourselves veiled and separated from our friends. Marjane Satrapi found You are putting yourself in serious danger...' I think that I preferred to put myself in serious danger rather than confront my shame. My shame at not having become someone, the shame of not having made my parents proud after all the sacrifices they had made for me. The shame of having become a mediocre nihilist. Marjane Satrapi sacrificeparentthinking I think animation is like running a marathon, and making a movie is like a 100 meter sprint. The question is: are you a marathon man or are you a sprinter? I realized that I was more of a sprinter than a marathon man. With a long, long project, I get bored easily. Marjane Satrapi runningmenthinking In every religion, you find the same extremists. Marjane Satrapi extremist I had two major activities as a child. I was trying to put on shows with kids in my street, or I was drawing. Actually, what I'm doing now is exactly what I was doing then. Either I'm drawing, or I'm gathering people for a common project. The only difference is that now they are paying me for that. Marjane Satrapi twokidschildren Well, I would have much preferred to have had a normal childhood. I would have loved it if my greatest dilemma, at 14, was whether to go to Benetton for my pullovers. I would have preferred not to have cried all the tears I have cried. Marjane Satrapi childhoodnormaltears I really didn't know what to think about the veil. Deep down I was very religious but as a family we were very modern and avant-garde. I was born with religion. At the age of six I was already sure I was the last prophet. This was few years before the revolution. Marjane Satrapi religiousyearsthinking The information I have about Iran is second hand. Marjane Satrapi iraninformationhands When you make a book or you make a movie, it is almost like hitting on somebody. It's not because you want to seduce people that you will seduce them; you can hit on somebody and it doesn't work. But when you hit on them and it works, then it's really cool. Marjane Satrapi hittingbookpeople The most exciting time is when I think of an idea and how I imagine I can make it. It would be wonderful if there was a projector inside my eye that and it could just put the idea on the screen for people to see. Marjane Satrapi eyeideasthinking You know, the cynicism that is in the politics, it is not for my soul. It makes me - out of me, an extremely bitter, cynical person that I hate to see in the mirror, really. Marjane Satrapi cynicalhatemirrors I call Iran home because no matter how long I live in France, and despite the fact that I feel also French after all these years, to me the word 'home' has only one meaning: Iran. I suppose it's that way for everyone: Home is the place where one is born and raised. Marjane Satrapi iranhomeyears It's fear that makes us lose our conscience. It's also what transforms us into cowards. Marjane Satrapi consciencelosescoward I'm very open and never write what I'm going to say. Speeches bore everybody else. I have to freestyle. Every time, from one program to another, everything changes and I improvise. Marjane Satrapi programspeechwriting
