“For me ['The Other Side of Hope'] was one of those crazy universal moments when things just happen, there is some metaphysical intervention. I received an email which said that there is a production company that seeks an actor from the Middle East who speaks English, Arabic, and Finnish would be a plus, and there is like a little thing that says 'with a reasonable sense of humor.' I looked at my old passport, went to the mirror and I thought: 'OK, it might be me.'”