In the best of all possible worlds, directors would obsess about the quality of their storytelling, and not the details of their technical methods.

What I believe is that all clear-minded people should remain two things throughout their lifetimes: Curious and teachable.

Grave of the Fireflies is an emotional experience so powerful that it forces a rethinking of animation... It belongs on any list of the greatest war films ever made.

They're not trying to prevent Hollywood from making movies. They're asking that the most powerful image-building machinery in the world stop grinding out killer dykes and twisted homo sex fiends as if sexual orientation had anything to do with criminal behavior.

Because of the rush of human knowledge, because of the digital revolution, I have a voice, and I do not need to scream.

A film like Hoop Dreams is what the movies are for. It takes us, shakes us, and makes us think in new ways about the world around us. It gives us the impression of having touched life itself.

Of all the purposes of education, I think the most useful is this: It prepares you to keep yourself entertained. It gives you a better chance of an interesting job.