Martell Cognac approached me to make a film for them that represented the spirit of John Martell and what he stood for as a person and as a visionary - the qualities that they felt were linked to the brand because of John Martell himself. The creation of the cognac had an impact on the world. That's what Martell Cognac would like to promote: people that can inspire other kids and generations. They have a saying: "It's not what you achieve, it's how you achieve it."

I pray for what I have always prayed for: the restoration of our constitution and absolute freedom for the people of Cuba. That dream is very much alive, that fight is very much alive.

She is Cuba. If you want to love her, you have to be with her, but you can't be with her in her current state. It's the point of view of all exiles - you have to leave the thing you cherish most.

I go where I'm stimulated. If I'm stimulated, I show up. As Mick Jagger sings: It's my life and I'll do what I want.

Children make you a better everything. Daughters open up a whole different sensibility to you. When you have children, it focuses you on them as opposed to on yourself.

If you have the right actors and you can give them the freedom to explore, you've done a lot of your work as a director.

I'm a fan of Ernest Hemingway work and specifically The Old Man and the Sea. I researched the relationship he had with the captain of his boat for 20 years, Gregorio Fuentes, and that inspired me to write a screenplay about it.