I Work Fitfully, In Hope Rather Than

You Know, You Lose A Lot Of Social Skills If You’re A Writer. You Spend Too Long Alone. And It’s Forced Me To Address That.

No Studio In Hollywood Wanted 'cold Mountain.' None. No One Wanted 'ripley,' No One Wanted 'the English Patient.' That Tells You There Isn't Really An Appetite For Ambitious Movie-making Out There.

I Am A Writer Who Was Able To Direct The Films That I Write.

I Am A Teller Of Stories. A Weaver Of Dreams. I Can Dance, Sing, And In The Right Weather I Can Stand On My Head. I Know 7 Words Of Latin, I Have A Little Magic... And A Trick Or Two. I Know The Proper Way To Meet A Dragon, I Can Fight Dirty But Not Fair. I Once Swallowed Thirty Oysters In A Minute. I Am Not Domestic, I Am A Luxury And, In That Sense, Necessary.

When I Became The Chair Of The British Film Institute, I Didn't Understand How Much Of My Time Would Be Taken Up With Trying To Make A Case For The British Film Institute: What It's For, Why It Exists, Why It Needs Its Money.