When part of what you're trying to get at is the truth hidden under a taboo, or when you want to nail a hypocrisy, laughter is a very useful tool. I want to show the painful side of existence, but there is no question I also want to make people laugh.

A movie takes on its own life, and you have to respect that and be open to it.

Usually the audience has no idea that the censored version of whatever movie they're watching isn't the original.

One thing I want to say: I don't like victim stories and I don't write them.

I always have to presume that each movie is my last movie because I never know if I'll get money again.

I've always said that I myself am not the best audience for my own work, because I'm just not that receptive to comedy.

Art has a smaller audience than, say, movies or other forms of mass consumption. But that doesn't mean the work doesn't have an impact in a way that transcends just a few cultural arbiters.