I love Philip Glass' work, not only as a film composer but also as a musician. The film score work that he does always amazes and shocks me.

Actually, I can't stand watching violent scenes in films; I avoid watching horror films. I don't tend to watch action films mainly because I find them boring, but I watch the films of David Cronenberg and Martin Scorsese, usually in a state close to having a heart attack. I'm a complete coward. I make violent films as a result of my sensitivity to violence - in other words, my fear of violence.

I don't really believe in the auteur theory.

Certain subjects may no longer be taboo in cinema. But there are ways to treat them that still create shock.

Some audiences might find homosexuality an uncomfortable subject matter, and a character who is a Japanese collaborator is always uncomfortable.

Actors are professionals who deal with people's emotions and their thoughts. So, working with this very intelligent, smart cast meant that sometimes I would only have to start speaking a word and these wonderful actors would immediately catch onto what I wanted them to portray, and how I wanted them to act.

I grew up in a very Catholic family. Up until puberty, I would go to a Catholic church every week.