At HBO, they seem to be well-informed. They make what I think are really quite mature films.

For a director, the most challenging scenes are the dialogue scenes.

In silent movies, they tended to put the camera down, and everybody walked in front of it and acted, and then they all walked off. Cutting was quite infrequent.

The number of opera houses around the world and the high attendance rates show that opera an art form that is more popular than ever.

With a film, I do my best to understand the author's intentions and try to bring the characters to life.

It is essential to do everything possible to attract young people to opera so they can see that it is not some antiquated art form but a repository of the most glorious music and drama that man has created.

It's not enough to hit the notes. There is no point in the singers just standing there and sounding wonderful if they're not connecting with the characters they are portraying.