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Cannes is the oldest film festival in the world, and I've long dreamed of having one of my films there in competition. It's a dream that lay dormant for a long time; I stopped believing in it.

To be able to work with people who I have respected and admired, to be a part of something like the Cannes Film Festival, is surreal and brilliant.

Cannes or any other major festival is basically an animal in its own nature, creating very specific perceptions of films in a moment.

I love festivals because I feel like I'm more of a movie fan than a person who's in the film industry.

The whole idea of a festival to me is that filmmakers get to interact. You see someone strolling, you get to meet them and tell them you like their work, you admire their story.

As a director, or just a film fan who wants to enjoy the festival, Cannes is the worst place to be. But it must be a paradise for distributors and importers.

I've been to Cannes 15 or 16 times, and every time I go, there's a kind of soul-stirring feeling.

People come to Cannes just to advertise their films, not with a particular message. But the advantage is that if you go to the festival, you get so much press coverage in three days that it advertises the film for the rest of the year.

Cannes is a sort of gladiators' arena, and that's the fun part of it. When you accept to come here to open the festival, you know you are going to be criticised. I have no problem with the fact that I expose myself and the movie, and it's normal that I can disagree with the way some people feel.

When I have to go to Cannes, that is boring to me.