One of my great all-time loves in cinema, and I've seen it three times, is Bondarchuk's 'War and Peace.' Not a lot of people may have seen that film. It was made during the Soviet era.

Everything I make starts very personally.

To be honest, there is a tourists' trail; my family had a farm and a gas station, and you can go and see my birthplace, though where I lived is actually under a freeway now.

I feel a kinship with anyone who feels that their road, their life or who they really are is not good enough. I really relate to that.

So, what is creative freedom? We can make what we want, how we want. The only constraint is: not for any budget.

Look, I had a passion for comic books growing up.

I feel funny about owning art. I don't really want to say: "Wow, come and see my Monet - it's in a dark room at the bottom of my cellar."