When I started to allow the characters to go where they wanted to go, I just had to follow.

I've lived in America for many years. I mean, I love being a Canadian, but I truly identify with America. I love America so much.

Usually the characters are where I start. Then I continually ask myself, 'What's the worst thing that could happen to this character?'

If you make a film and then two and a half, three years later, suddenly the country's changed and you look like you just happened to hit it. I actually like being contrarian. I would have preferred to come out three years ago when everyone was disagreeing with me. But hopefully it asks a lot of questions about our responsibility in sending young men and women to war, especially a war that's so complex, where there's no right answer, where they're forced with impossible decisions every day.

All the studios are owned by multinational corporations, which are not usually bastions of the left. So all the actors, writers, and directors - or at least a great majority of them - live in fear because we're all insecure, we all want that next job, we all want to be loved, and we don't want to piss off some studio chief who won't hire us for the next movie.

United States could be a great country. It needs to be a great country. It's our responsibility as citizens to make that happen, every single one of us.

I like to really respect the audience and let them come through on answers.