Born in Wiesbaden to an Iranian father and French mother, his output embraces documentary and fiction, yet is always underpinned by a dominant historical or political backdrop. His acclaimed films have been celebrated in both cinematic and artistic spheres; The Flock of The Lord was shown in the 2011 Venice Film Festival, while his work has also been screened at the Centre Pompidou, and in 2008 MoMA included Das Himmler-Projekt as one of the 250 most important acquisitions of the museum.