The Cannes film festival is about big-budget films but also remarkable films made in different political regimes by film-makers with little resources.

Films are just consumables.

'The English Patient' was a huge turning point in my career and my life; it became this huge thing. But the whole Oscar build-up got completely out of control; I spent more time talking about that film than I spent making it!

As a younger actor you want to be approved of, you want to gain respect, be admired. All of those things. To say: 'This is me playing this character. And aren't I fantastic!' I don't feel that so much now.

Life is too short to live on low-fat everything.

I'd love to do some comedy. Particularly French comedy, which I know sounds like a contradiction in terms.

You don't choose a film because it's made by a woman, you choose it because it's good.