My old friend Kambiz Sabri, an Iranian sculptor, told me about a very short performance many years ago and insisted that I make a film as short as that.

I am a documentary filmmaker, and there isn't much fantasy in my films. Therefore, I always told him that he could do it himself with a simple camera. Kambiz's original idea involved an aquarium, a person in the aquarium, colorful fish, and bubbles and colors coming out of the person's mouth. All of this was supposed to become a one- or two-minute performance, either live or filmed, to be presented in a gallery.

A year or two passed. The last time he came to me and talked about this idea, he insisted that it somehow be realized. I asked, "Is the aquarium ready?" He said, "It's ready." I said, "I'll make it. But not just what you said! I'll complete it with additional and complementary ideas."

He agreed. And when I saw the aquarium that same day, my ideas expanded. The next day, with my camera, a simple crane, and a few lights, we started at eight o'clock in the evening and finished the work three hours later.

Kambiz provided everything I asked for. He is an unpretentious and kind sculptor; from hot tea to a razor to smooth out his head and body, transforming him into a child... Small black, red, and white fish were already prepared in a small aquarium, and he had already practiced holding his breath. During the filming, he would come out, take a breath, and go back underwater. We changed the water three times. The last time, when the idea for the final scene came to my mind, we kept the dirty water to film it draining out. Sahar Fadaiyan photographed the behind-the-scenes, my dear colleague Majid Ghorbanifar was my assistant, and Faraz Fadaiyan assisted with editing and designed the opening credits of the film. Both Kambiz and I were not inclined to explicitly state the ideas and content of this short film.