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My hotel was right in front of the Fatima Masumeh holy shrine.
There was no word yet on the viruss arrival in Iran.
Another friend was filming nurses and doctors dancing in an effort to beat peoples anxiety.
So the authorities message was not taken seriously.
My cousin in Mashhad tested positive and shes in home quarantine.
Her lungs have become infected, which we all worry about.
The parents of two of my students have died because of the virus.
More than 20 people I know have died, mostly in the northern cities of Iran.
At the same time, Id been working on a new project in southeastern Iran.
My previous films were about boys and girls at correctional centers, and women in womens prisons.
Im always worried about these prisoners lives.
My father and grandfather were imprisoned for political reasons.
Sometimes I wonder, if I was in prison at this time, how would I spend my time?
But there is still concern for the remaining inmates.
The girls in my two latest films,Sunless ShadowsandStarless Dreams, have all been released.
Prison authorities have cancelled in-person meetings and reduced the number of outside contact with prisoners.
I am in touch with some girls released from prison.
I support three of them for their living expenses and their education.
Fortunately, they have locked themselves at home and are well.
I was in quarantine with my wife until early March.
I worked with my post-production office over the internet for my film.
Only one flight was allowed to leave for France; all flights were canceled afterward.
I went to Paris first, and then directly to Rennes, in the west.
I was shocked when I arrived in France: I saw no change in personal care.
Paris was as busy as ever, even at the train stations.
I was scared and tried to keep my distance from other people.
I was wondering why the French government did nothing to prevent the epidemic.
The French went to a home quarantine for two weeks on Tuesday, March 17.
Also,The Plagueby Albert Camus.
I practice diary writing.
I see hundreds of photos and record my lonely thoughts every day.
We talk a lot about what she has found.
Maybe thats why I wanted to readOne Hundred Years of Solitudeagain.
Im working on my time-management technique, a skill to be learned with adaptation and practice.
These days are so strange.
Eight hundred people have died in Italy in just 24 hours.
I cant believe it!
I know that I can do nothing and it makes me angry.
Ive had periods of depression.
But I also think about how the virus has reduced air pollution all over the world.
The Earth is breathing and is appreciative.
In Sardinia, Italy, dolphins have returned to the port of Cagliari and are swimming freely.
How will human beings behave in the world after this crisis?
What will happen to movie theaters?
Will our filmmaking habits and the collective experience of watching movies disappear from our daily lives?
What will happen to the tired nurses and doctors?
How will our thoughts, actions, behavior, and choices during this pandemic be judged by future generations?
I feel like were in the heart of a sci-fi movie.
The coronavirus will divide the history of the world into two parts: before and after the virus.
I hope I can survive and understand this change.
