In general, I have some precise ideas about everything, because the film is completed in my head before we ever start shooting. With casting, I am always present, even for the smallest character.

In France, I am so free. I have more freedom than most American directors could dare to even imagine.

I write scripts by myself. It's not for everybody. It's someone's personal work. I need to be in love with the subject.

When I was a kid, I used to escape from my family with my imagination, and I kept this spirit into my adult life. This doesn't always happen. All children have imagination, but for some it doesn't carry over.

It's always more interesting and more difficult to make something positive than negative. To be negative is very easy.

In the States, I learned to fight for every idea. Sometimes, a director has to be a tyrant to keep the quality.

In general, I have some precise ideas about everything, because the film is completed in my head before we ever start shooting. With casting, I am always present, even for the smallest character.