Every movie I make. That’s my hideout, the place I don’t quite understand, but feel most at home.

When you go for something because you're curious about it, you get psyched up about the chance of getting into it. It's like an actor meets a role, and you slip into that body and see what happens, to experience certain conditions, to adopt a certain character. Even shooting is a study of the character. I think both the character and the actor, and eventually the filmmaker - myself - are finding a way to accept their environment and being accepted and feel comfortable of themselves.

Directing, I get all kinds of inspiration. It's working with people. It's a lot more fun.

I grew up pretty much prevented from knowing anything from Communist China except that they were the bad guys that stole our country.

When something possesses me, I go ahead and do it.

I think that at heart I am an old-fashioned Chinese, really I am.

There's only one movie in my career I've had regrets with cutting it shorter, and I think some scenes maybe I shouldn't have cut.