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

I love actors, both my parents were actors, and the work with actors is the most enjoyable part of making a film. It's important that they feel protected and are confident they won't be betrayed. When you create that atmosphere of trust, it's in the bag - the actors will do everything to satisfy you.

I never suffered from the absence of a father. On the contrary, as a child I was more inclined to see men as a disturbing factor. It made things difficult for me when I started working as a director.

It's much harder to write a script that involves two people in a single location than 20 people in 30 different locations.

Well, the first thing I had to do was to read a lot. First of all, about education... and looking at education from the Middle Ages right through to the 20th Century. The second major area was country life in the 19th Century, which I don't know much about these days.

It's the duty of art to ask questions, not to provide answers. And if you want a clearer answer, I'll have to pass.

A strict form such as mine cannot be achieved through improvisation.