1 Does art make a difference?
Yes, 100 per cent. If we look at history and the events of the world, we find art affects us in a positive way. Art has a very big impact on most events – for example, in a revolution or a transformation of a society.
2 Should politics and art mix?
I think it is better to separate art from politics, because whenever they mix, the art suffers.
3 Is your work for the many or for the few?
I make films for everybody. In our time, there is no separation between the individual and the group.
4 If you were world leader, what would be your first law?
If I were world leader, I would put 60 per cent of the budget into creating cultural and artistic institutions to give art a bigger place in society. I would make some sort of cultural revolution, and clean the world from war.
5 Who would be your top advisers?
My mother and my older sister.
6 What, if anything, would you censor?
I never did censor and will never allow censorship, but maybe I would advise artists not to insult religion or be racist in their work.
7 If you had to banish one public figure, who would it be?
The person who created atomic bombs.
8 What are the rules that you live by?
I have recently understood that the philosophy of life is joy. Therefore, I try to enjoy everything in my life: making films, friends.
9 Do you love your country?
I love my country so much, but I look upon the world as my home. A few days ago, I looked at the sky and saw hundreds of stars and planets, and thought about how small I am, and my planet in this galaxy. But we cannot even take care of this small home.
10 Are we all doomed?
I think about death most of the time, but something inside of me shouts that doom does not exist. We will all be born again in a different place as a different person, and maybe in a different world. When I think like that, it raises my hopes and makes me feel relaxed.
