ALAN PARKER

Personally I am very much against the death penalty for several reasons.

The films that I do tend to polarise people's views.

Making a film is so hard that if you don't have your main actors going along with the ride with the rest of the crew it can make your life very difficult.

Film-making is a physically hard job.

I've always been completely autocratic. I've never learned to be diplomatic or democratic.

I'm always afraid someone's going to tap me on the shoulder one day and say, 'Back to North London.'

Rain is also very difficult to film, particularly in Ireland because it's quite fine, so fine that the Irish don't even acknowledge that it exists.

Most directors have little lists in their heads of people they really want to work with.

A great movie evolves when everybody has the same vision in their heads.

A lot of directors prefer the solitude of the editing process, but I revel in the craziness of what a film set is.

A great movie evolves when everybody has the same vision in their heads.

I always argued against the auteur theory; films are a collaborative art form. I've had some fantastically good people help me make the movies.

Rain is also very difficult to film, particularly in Ireland because it's quite fine, so fine that the Irish don't even acknowledge that it exists.

Film-making is a physically hard job.

Personally I am very much against the death penalty for several reasons.

I turn on the TV sometimes, start watching something and think: 'This seems quite good, a bit familiar.' Then I realise... It's one of my movies. It's a pretty odd feeling.

Period recreation is very difficult unless you make a black-and-white movie.

I'm always afraid someone's going to tap me on the shoulder one day and say, 'Back to North London.'

I was once described by one of my critics as an aesthetic fascist.

I'm a pluralist. I've always argued that as many different films as possible should be made.

Most directors have little lists in their heads of people they really want to work with.

The films that I do tend to polarise people's views.

I've always been completely autocratic. I've never learned to be diplomatic or democratic.

A lot of directors prefer the solitude of the editing process, but I revel in the craziness of what a film set is.

Making a film is so hard that if you don't have your main actors going along with the ride with the rest of the crew it can make your life very difficult.