You really see life around the principals to be as important as the main, principal actors. That's what cinéma vérité taught me - that it's not a question of having a main character, a great actor, and the rest is unimportant. Every detail, every face in the crowd is important.

First of all, to defend my work, I had to believe that I am doing a totally silly, stupid, innocent comedy.

Well, listen, you know, the Czech saying is, you know, when you are drowning you are grabbing even a little twig. That's what all Czechs were doing, grabbing for... with the hope for this little twig.

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

Well, I wouldn't say that this experience had any influence on my decision to do this film about Andy, because Andy was apolitical. Andy was never political.

I tell you, in my opinion, the cornerstone of democracy is free press - that's the cornerstone.

So I left with Jean Claude and went to Paris, so when the Russians came to Prague, I was in Paris.