I Had Never Thought Of Myself As

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

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.

Of Course, Like All Film-makers I've Been Mesmerised By Cinema Since I Was A Child.

There's A Great Tradition At The Bfi Of Giving Fellowships And I Thought One Of The Great Jobs That I'd Have At The Bfi Would Be To Give Them Out On A Regular Basis.

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.