“Accept certain inalienable truths.”

At a very young age I was allowed to go into the cinema and watch adult films.

If Paris is a city of lights, Sydney is the city of fireworks.

The ugly duckling is a misunderstood universal myth. It’s not about turning into a blonde Barbie doll or becoming what you dream of being; it’s about self-revelation, becoming who you are.

Why live life from dream to dream, and dread the day when dreaming ends.

Opera was the cinema of its time, so to bring back that popular appeal, you just need to unleash its visceral immediacy and excitement. Most productions don’t manage that – but when an opera does do it, you never forget it.

Look, I had a passion for comic books growing up.

Having grown up far, far away in a small country town in Australia, I was only slightly aware of hip-hop.

When I was growing up you would see big American films that really mythologised their landscape, that really showed the vastness and the drama of their country.

The race is long but in the end it is only with YOURSELF.

There’s a whole system in Hollywood where the director never speaks to the studio, but I like to engage them in a discussion. I listen.

In terms of the mechanics of story, myth is an intriguing one because we didn’t make myth up; myth is an imprinture of the human condition.

I wouldn’t take a directing job if I didn’t think it was enriching life.

I really believe musical form will go on. There’s got to be a way of making musical form in cinema live again.

So, what is creative freedom? We can make what we want, how we want. The only constraint is: not for any budget.

When you’re in theater or the circus or film – to me it’s all one – affairs happen. People fall in love.

One of the great things about Sydney is that it has a great acceptance of everyone and everything. It’s an incredibly tolerant city, a city with a huge multicultural basis.

The international community will not accept such threats to the political process.

The key to freedom is accepting my own autonomy as an individual, and respecting the autonomy of other individuals, with all of what that means – whatever that means.

You’ve got to really be able to accept the rejection.

I also like to follow nature’s rhythm. In times or places, they have their own rhythm. So you cannot push it. So we must accept that as well. Wherever we’re born at this time, we just live it.

Life is not a burden, but we make it one when we refuse to accept things as they are.

Why is life so difficult? Why can’t we be just ourselves and have everyone accept us the way we are?

Russians, in the knowledge of inexhaustible supplies of manpower, are accustomed to accepting gigantic fatalities with comparative calm.

Happiness is when you love who you are and you are able to accept yourself and others.