Cannes in Quotes

When in Cannes, quote…

Lars Von Trier on how he chose his latest film, Antichrist, “I never have a choice. It’s the hand of God. And I am the best film director in the world.” The press laughed. “I’m not sure God is the best God in the world.” Later, he extrapolated on his anointment as Best Film Director in the World. “This knowledge I have that I’m the best director. I see it as true. I’m sure other directors may feel the same way, maybe they don’t say it. I’m not sure I am, I just think I am. I feel it. There must be a lot of directors I haven’t seen films from.” (LEFT: VON TRIER AT THE PREMIERE OF ANTICHRIST. PHOTO: ERNIE STEWART/RETNA LTD)

Lee Daniels, director of Precious, was more modest in his auto-diagnosis: “I’m a little homo, I’m a little Euro, and I’m a little ghetto.”

Pedro Almodavar on what made him, and the women in his films: “My family life was completely governed by women. Up to the age of about eight, I lived entirely surrounded by women, and by strong women. The post-war women, I don’t know how they got by. Despite the situation they managed to feed us every day; they managed to find something to allow us to survive. Spain was marked by this generation of woman.”

Francis Ford Coppola on what makes him different from younger directors: “When I write six pages I turn them over and never read them… Young writers have a hormone that makes them hate their writing.”