Film is shot in fragments, and the same moments can be shot again and again until the director is satisfied.

With Cold Sassy Tree having its first production, I saw no necessity to do anything other than produce it with the correct setting.

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

In Australia, they set up a special fund to kick films off. It was quite an enlightened sort of move. You could go to this government bureau with scripts and and get finance for films.

Directing an opera is similar to directing a play. The singing must not get in the way of the drama.

When we were trying to get the money together for the film, one reason that was consistently given for not investing in it was that everyone kept saying no one could direct it well enough to entertain an audience for 100 minutes essentially watching three people chatting in the kitchen.

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.