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.

There were movies that always made me want to be a director. You see brilliant scenes and the way the emotions were handled. I thought, I'd really like to do that.

When the music and the characters are flawlessly synchronized, the opera develops an emotional force that movies and plays cannot match.

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.

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