I'm always aiming for some magic in films if I can find a mystical quality either in a song or in a moment or a character's intention.

I respect the British a lot - their history, their past, their culture. I think it's beautiful, what they have with the monarchy.

There's a way of filming where you can get rid of the vanity and of trying to make something beautiful.

When I do a mix tape for my kids, for my friends, for my lover, I meticulously choose the tracks, and it's beautiful. And when they are alone they think of me - and when I am alone I think of them.

As a director, try to be humble and not to overdo it, not overcoverage and over-covering the scene.

You've got to trust your instincts, your judgment and trust the storytelling that came before and the quality of the acting with the emotion.

Just film what's there, trust what came before, one hour before, and make it easy.

I look back, and I've got a couple of films, and I'm happy.

I love those films where I feel the director's confidence - where he doesn't need to overdo it with the shots and the cuts.

I'm from the 'less is more' school. I had to be in the 'more is more' zone with 'Dallas Buyers Club', so I was out of my comfort zone, but I had to trust that.

In a career, when you hit 40 and you've done a lot of this and that, you want to try some new things. I feel like that as a director, too, from one film to the other.

Great people do not struggle for their position

I also argued before the war that the administration was underestimating Arab nationalism and Iraqi nationalism, that it was not going to be as easy to rule Iraq as they thought.

The Divine of the Lord in heaven is love, for the reason that love is receptive of all things of heaven, such as peace, intelligence, wisdom and happiness

I used to be a jazz snob, believe it or not. I sort of turned my nose up at anything more commercial.

Night can't cloak your scarlet dream. Accept Desire's call.

Human life is too difficult for people.

What if the house catches fire?” “Roast marshmallows. And if it floods, you’ll go down with the ship. If there’s a tornado, I’ll meet both you and this house in Oz, after my shift. Got it?

I will always be referred to as a theorist, but I was only a fellow traveller with a degree.

The people have spoken, but it will take a while to determine exactly what they said.

The health of life on Earth depends on its oceans. But unless we save our seas from the growing mounds of pop bottles, cigarette butts and plastic trash, soon there won't be much healthy sea left.