Director Quotes

An artist is someone who should raise questions rather than give answers. I have no message.

All movies assault the viewer in one way or another.

A feature film is twenty-four lies per second.

It's impossible to consider living without ideals. However, when ideas lead to ideology, that's a very dangerous thing. Ideology then leads to creating the image of an enemy, and it leads to the murder and massacre that we've seen since the beginning of time.

People expect me to be dark and gloomy, then write that I'm a jolly chap, and after all, that is what I am. I think it's a case of an absolute romantic naivety that there should be a parallel between the work and the artist.

My guess is that if they now choose to change of director for every other film, it's just because you can't really change the formula, you can merely try to film it your way.

For years, I've been wondering what could happen to nuclear submarines when they dive and disappear from the surface of the earth for months, without a trace. No one really knows where they are.

That picture has become a sort of yardstick for everything else I've done.

It's flattering to make a picture which becomes a classic within 10 years; it's not so flattering, however, when people get the impression it's the only picture you've ever made.

Many of the comedies I had made in Sweden were slightly based on semi-autobiographical experiences, so adapting novels was a very different experience.

Kevin, as the whole cast is, just wonderful people and great people, and people who are attracted to this kind of material and accepting the idea of going to Newfoundland and knowing the kind of lack of amenities.

It's just, for me, the natural standard: a woman should be able to decide over her own body.

It was important on The Shipping News to have my house far enough away from each location so I had this time in the morning to think about my shots and still remain open to surprises once I got to the set.

I'm on this diet where you're supposed to eat only fish and meat.

I was always attracted by the European way of life, but I am deeply Swedish.

I think I avoid stepping into sentimentality by trying to be as truthful as possible with performances.

I really want to have actors contribute their own ideas, with phrasings and ideas on all levels.

I made all their videos, apart from the last two, so if you ever see an Abba video on TV then it's my stuff.

I love mixing amateurs and professionals.

I love involving actors at all levels - and they have to know that I want to hear their contributions, with dialogue, with story suggestions, with script changes, whatever.

I love improvising.

I imagined that it might be awkward to talk to your wife about her performance, so going into it I was a little nervous. But doing it was actually a wonderfully inspiring experience.

I got to work with my wife, Lena Olin, for the first time, which was great. I thought it might be difficult in some way to talk to one's wife in a different way but it was so not forced.

I feel the need to work with my wife, Lena Olin, again.

I discovered the 7th art at home when I was kid, through Charlie Chaplin's movies and those of my father who shot documentaries. He was my biggest influence. So I took his camera and started shooting.

I can't go back and label myself as an outcast because I was a pretty well-adjusted kid, but I can certainly relate to the feeling of being an outsider.

I am always more interested in performance and character depiction, and my direction says as much.

I always try to preserve my cinematographic style, even while I work in the US. I wish to always be European.

I always need a couple of highlights to really spark the passion for a project.

Cinema has become a global economy, totally international.