People have to start talking to know more about other cultures and to understand each other.

Because of the movies I make, people get nervous. They think of me as difficult and angry. I am difficult and angry, but they don't expect a sense of humor. And the only thing that gets me through is a sense of humor.

Always stay open to surprise.

I've been extremely lucky to work with Elmer Bernstein, Howard Shore over the years, but I've always imagined films with my own scores, because I don't come from that world or that period of filmmaking. And so how could I make up my own score on a film like this where it isn't necessarily made up of popular music from the radio or the period; it isn't necessarily classical music. But what if it's modern symphonic music?

If you’re looking for the origins of film culture in America, look no further than Amos Vogel.

You have to put yourself in a situation, a lifestyle, that makes you do the work. Even if it's a monastery.

I go through periods, usually when I'm editing and shooting, of seeing only old films.