If it were up to the executives, they probably wouldn't have directors at all.

I have my ideas of what a good documentary is, but drama is a different animal because you're arranging everything.

When I grew up in the '60s, we were actually dominated by this, you know, sort of conforming '50s culture, even though we were like trying to express our own culture, like, the dominant culture was the thing that was forming us. And I think that that's true today.

Yeah, Kubrick's a big influence. In something like 'A Clockwork Orange,' he is trying to use the practical light - I mean, at least he says that in his interviews, like they're not using traditionally Hollywood lights. In 'Elephant' we basically used no lights; we never really adjusted.

Casting the locals is my primary concern because all the other things you assume will be manageable.

I used to take photographs just to remember people.

As I do with most films, I try and find some music that you could use throughout, not just a sampling of lots of different artists.