I always seek to mobilize, to call on the imagination of the spectator. It's well-known that the images that are created by one's imagination are far stronger than any that I can show. In fact, it's an error, a widespread error in mainstream cinema, to always want to show things and to depict things.

In German. I'm more sensitized to the details, to the emotions. In English, I wouldn't detect as much nuance.

Film is 24 lies per second at the service of truth, or at the service of the attempt to find the truth.

I’ve been accused of ‘raping’ the audience in my films, and I admit to that freely — all movies assault the viewer in one way or another.

It is boring to have all the answers. Only political people have answers.

I try to get closer to reality, to get close to the contradictions. The cinema world can be a real world rather than a dream world.

When ideas lead to ideology, that's a very dangerous thing. Ideology then leads to creating the image of an enemy, and it leads to the murder and massacre.