But the cinephile is … a neurotic! (That’s not a pejorative term.) The Bronte sisters were neurotic, and it’s because they were neurotic that they read all those books and became writers. The famous French advertising slogan that says, “When you love life, you go to the movies,” it’s false! It’s exactly the opposite: when you don’t love life, or when life doesn’t give you satisfaction, you go to the movies.

The film of tomorrow will not be directed by civil servants of the camera, but by artists for whom shooting a film constitutes a wonderful and thrilling adventure.

Life has more imagination than we do.

An actor is never so great as when he reminds you of an animal - falling like a cat, lying like a dog, moving like a fox.

Film lovers are sick people.

When I begin a film, I want to make a great film. Halfway through, I just hope to finish the film.

Is the cinema more important than life?