For me, The Kite Runner became about a guy who’s emotionally shut down because he hasn’t confronted his past.

When talking with a set designer the dialogue is more centered on locations, interior design, what I like and what doesn't work. There is a certain taste I'm drawn to and feel inspired by, and finding that inspiration is what keeps the conversation moving forward.

I realized that a lot of the great directors that I admire from [Ingmar] Bergman to [Fredrico] Fellini re always shooting, then going into the editing room, and shooting again.

The key thing is that you start every film from sort of a blank page, almost like you discover it like a child discovers a new world.

I always try to stay objective, and to remove myself from the process and look at the film again.

I think people, unfortunately, do live in constant fear. I think the government - and people in general - create scenarios people fear, because ultimately through fear you can control people. I wish we could live in a world where there would be no fear, but it's a driving force in many decisions people make these days, whether it's personal, economic, or even job-related. A lot of people stay out of fear in a job they hate.

You can make a global film, which affects so many countries and affects sort of this worldwide epidemic, but it has, zombies are great metaphors for the times we live in today and that's what I always find fascinating about them, but then it's like the walking dead, you know, the unconscious, and the metaphors for them are just really something I was inspired by.