I think maybe I might tackle something that doesn't reach down to a very, very young audience, like more of a kind of teenager and upwards.

I couldn't be a cameraman or a designer or an actor - I have to be a director because I learned how to do that from my dad.

I think my dyslexia was a vital part of my development because my inability to read and write meant that I had to find knowledge elsewhere so I looked to the cinema.

I see the job of directing as being one of creating the right atmosphere, creating an environment where people can realize their full potential.

Every time I make a film, I feel it gives me the chance to learn something new.

Fairy tales to me are never happy, sweet stories. They're moral stories about overcoming the dark side and the bad.

Modern, not bottom-dwelling literature like a carp.

I was known for a while for doing very long takes, especially after Atonement.

I don't make a division between an art film and commercial art.

I feel more in touch with the world when I'm filming.

Generally, I've never known quite how to fit in in civilian life, but on set, making a film, I know exactly where to go, how to behave and how I fit.

What was the point of trying to run away if people were going to insist on reminding you of what you were running from?

I just want to say, good night, sweet prince, may flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.

I treat the camera like a person—I gaze into it. Photos are a flat thing, and you need to put life into them.

Truth - Something somehow discreditable to someone.

Who is journeying for freedom? The one who is already free. Thoughts are impediments to seeing your own face. Don't give rise to any thought, and discover who you are.

I can't speak for all women, but I do think that... I mean, me and my girlfriends, we definitely... we're in crisis on a continuous basis...or at least monthly, for sure, I don't know.

If you've never watched people watch television, I don't recommend it. It's not an exciting thing to do.

Sometimes when you open a book, time stops.

I'm glad acting sunk its teeth into me, because now I can't imagine doing anything else.

There are moments in life that the white-chocolate Magnum ice cream was invented for, and this is one of them.