I can't negotiate and collaborate with a character to create a distilled dramatic investigation of the raw material. I need to work with an actor. That stuff about actors who stay in character all the time is nonsense.

There is a great tradition of independent filmmaking in the U.S. that I absolutely respect. There's some wonderful stuff that comes out in this country against all the odds.

I make films because I am endlessly fascinated by people. I'm fascinated immediately to know about the lives that are going on around me. That is what drives me. And that is because everybody matters, everybody is there to be cared about, everybody is interesting and everybody is the potential central character in a story. Judging people is not acceptable.

Independent filmmaking has always been there and it's not to be forgotten.

I discover what my film is by embarking on the journey of making it.

It creeps up on you and becomes an obsession. It comes out of watching a million movies.

Given the events of even the 19th century, Zionism was inevitable. Given the events of the 20th century, Israel was inevitable.