I was raised in California during the Second World War and into the '50s and everything was fine, everything was great. The sun always shone, everybody looked healthy and wore ties and smoked in restaurants, and there were cars for everybody - except us, because I came from a lower class neighbourhood. But [in France] I realised there was a different point of view, so when I came back to America a year and a half later I was much more focused on my own country culturally and politically.

...if our humanity - our soul as a society - is overtaken by the materiel and cosmetic, there will be no hope of peace.

For me, personally, skiing holds everything. I used to race cars, but skiing is a step beyond that. It removes the machinery and puts you one step closer to the elements. And it's a complete physical expression of freedom.

The measure of our success will be the condition on which we leave the world for the next generation.

Any time I saw people treated unfairly because of race, creed, whatever - it struck a nerve.

I think documentary filmmakers need as much protection as possible under journalist's privilege. How else is the public to know what is going on?

The art of making a film and its content are far more interesting to me than the result or impact.