In terms of the mechanics of story, myth is an intriguing one because we didn't make myth up; myth is an imprinture of the human condition.

When I was growing up you would see big American films that really mythologised their landscape, that really showed the vastness and the drama of their country.

I never see things I make in the same way that the audience does. You can never do that.

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.

Advice is a form of nostalgia.

I do find walking is fundamental to my creative process.

Opera was the cinema of its time, so to bring back that popular appeal, you just need to unleash its visceral immediacy and excitement. Most productions don't manage that - but when an opera does do it, you never forget it.