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There aren't many American directors here trying to direct a Japanese yakuza film. When you combine that with the fact that I don't speak much Japanese and this was an independent film I was financing myself - people were curious about what I was doing.

I didn't see a ton of movies growing up.

And I discovered after a couple years that I really didn't miss making movies.

Really interesting genre films, especially monster movies, evoke the fears of the times intentionally. Our starting point was 'Godzilla' - the original movie was released less than 10 years after Hiroshima, and it's a classic in Japan.

When I think about my great conversations with Marlon Brando on the set of 'Morituri,' I think there's a story there, just as I do with my experience working with James Cameron on 'Titanic.' And then there are all my years on 'Y&R' and all that has happened there.

I always loved Japanese movies. And they had an enormous impact in France - the Nouvelle Vague took so much from them. It taught us how the camera was placed in the centre of the action.

My first film, 'Ishaqzaade,' did well, and I got four damn good films because of it.

My films are completely new. I am not similar to anybody in the history of movies.

When I was about 10 or 11, I realised that people made movies; until then, I had thought they just happened.