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

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

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

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.

Perhaps the most difficult thing is shooting scenes set 6,000 feet up in the mountains of Mexico.

In my view, the operas of Carlisle Floyd will find a place in the permanent repertoire.

When I was 24 I went to Nigeria and it was such a culture shock, growing up in Australia and suddenly being the only white man in this unit full of black men.