I lived long enough in a society where freedom of speech was nonexistent, and I know what kind of misery that creates - starting with the fact that life becomes very boring for people who just try to survive, and are quiet, and try not to buck the system. And, of course, it can be devastating for people who try to speak against it.

People must not think that all bad in man which is unleashed, the moment you impose censorship disappears from man.

The worst evil is - and that's the product of censorship - is the self-censorship, because that twists spines, that destroys my character because I have to think something else and say something else, I have to always control myself.

When I came for the first time to the United States, visiting, I was absolutely fascinated by New York.

Because I just loved to spend two years of my life in the company of Andy Kaufman and other characters.

Memories are doing funny things to us.

Definitely it would be foolish to try and make my Czech films here in America, as foolish as it is when some Czech filmmakers try to make movies of America in Czechoslovakia. It was always abysmal stuff.