What I find compelling is the moment in which people realize, with suffering and pain, that in the past there was a time when they were happy, because back then the present and the future coincided - they were one and the same thing.
What I'm interested in is human beings alone.
I think cinema has this beautiful component. It's a universal language.
Rome is a city where in every corner you have a reminder of the sacred world. That's why I have sacred music, minimalist sacred music, which is also music I like, because at the end of the day, that's what I want to do.
There's one thing that I like about Rome that was stated by Napoleon: that from sublime to pathetic is only one step away. And in Rome there's a constant shifting between sublime and pathetic.
Wasting time is something that people do or feel all over the world, not just in Italy.
I usually don't say anything to the actors. It works better for me because when they come to the set, they are at the same time scared and excited because they are not well aware of what will happen.
The way I work with my cinematographer is not based on general principles, but the ideas are triggered by the locations where we shoot.
The thing is, even though you think a lot about your movie, and there's a lot of preparation behind it, the final end result completely goes beyond it. It's not something you're aware of.
There are contemporary artists that I hate with all my heart. These are provocateurs that are without feeling. Where is the real emotion?