I don't feel despair because I am able to make the films I want to make, and that gives me hope.

I think if you watch most of my films with the sound off, you could still tell what's going on.

The worst thing for people to say about your movies is, "Yeah, it was pretty good, but it was too damn long.".

Independent means one thing to me: It means that regardless of the source of financing, the director's voice is extremely present. It's such a pretentious term, but it's auteurist cinema. Director-driven, personal, auteurist... Whatever word you want. It's where you feel the director, not a machine, at work. It doesn't matter where the money comes from. It matters how much freedom the director has to work with his or her team. That's how I personally define independent movies.

The kindest thing a director can do is look with open eyes at everything.

Somewhat dramatic things happen, and you don't even always notice them — that's what life is.

I'm attracted to short screenplays. Nobody really wants a film to be over two hours, or at least I don't.