My movement from painting to film was a very conscious one.
One of the elements in the film that really fascinated me was not to look at the world in bi-polar terms of us vs them or east vs west, which was a by-product of the Cold War.
My criteria for doing a television series never changed. I wanted more stability, I wanted more of a sense of family, I wanted to do light comedy.
You never think the universe will reward your first choice – it just doesnt work like that.
I’m definitely not drawn to shooting on a stage, I’m just not.
What’s most galvanizing for me is the opportunity to be topical and relevant and entertaining. That’s the holy grail.
There’s really no difference between what I do and what a male filmmaker might do. I mean we all try to make our days, we all try to give the best performances we can, we try to make our budget, we try to make the best movie we possibly can.
Character and emotionality don’t always have to be relegated to quieter, more simple constructs.
For some individuals – some soldiers, some contractors – combat provides a kind of purpose and meaning beyond which all else potentially pales in comparison.
I don’t believe in censorship in any form.
I think violence in a cinematic context can be, if handled in a certain way, very seductive.
I don’t know if I thrive in normal life.
War’s dirty little secret is that some men love it. I’m trying to unpack why, to look at what it means to be a hero in the context of 21st century combat.
Something becomes personal when it deviates from the norm.
I’d love to just think of myself as a filmmaker, and I wait for the day when the modifier can be a moot point.
Films don’t cause violence, people do. Violence defines our existence. To shield oneself is more dangerous than trying to reflect it.
There will come a time when the world will look back to modern vivisection in the name of science, as they do now to burning at the stake in the name of religion.
I choose material instinctually – at the heart of it are characters that I feel are fresh and original, and allow for an opportunity to, I suppose, explore uncharted ground.
I can’t change my gender, and I refuse to stop making movies.
War’s dirty little secret is that some men love it.
When I made my first film, I didn’t think of it as directing, so it wasn’t like I set out to become a director.