The actors have confidence in me to let me lead them to unexpected things.

I wanted to make a more Romanesque film that told a story over a long period of time - this one spans 45 years. I had a great desire to make another musical, but this time I wanted to be more ambitious.

Even if I sometimes have some somewhat negative thoughts, for instance, if I see them in somebody else's movie, I feel jealous and possessive.

I'm someone who is pretty modest and doesn't like to talk about my love stories. Songs bring a lyrical quality to it, simply. It allows the audience to perceive the characters' love life in a way that is much more obvious than it might have been.

The actors have confidence in me to let me lead them to unexpected things.

I wanted to show how lightness was possible in the 1960s, but how life is more difficult in the 2000s.