One of the elements in the film that really fascinated me was not to look at the world in bi-polar terms of us vs them or east vs west, which was a by-product of the Cold War.

I thrive on production. It feels very much like a natural environment for me.

My dad used to draw these great cartoon figures. His dream was being a cartoonist, but he never achieved it, and it kind of broke my heart. I think part of my interest in art had to do with his yearning for something he could never have.

For some individuals - some soldiers, some contractors - combat provides a kind of purpose and meaning beyond which all else potentially pales in comparison.

War's dirty little secret is that some men love it.

I realised that there's a more muscular approach to film-making that I found very inspiring.

Something becomes personal when it deviates from the norm.