Michelangelo Antonioni Quotes

I always try to follow a certain pattern and work without thinking of the audience. It is not that I dislike my audience; I am not an intellectual, but I believe that films should not be made to entertain the audience, earn money or achieve popularity. I think that films should be made to be as good as possible. And it seems to me that this is the best way to work and to be trustworthy in the world of cinema.

When I am shooting a film I never think of how I want to shoot something; I simply shoot it. My technique, which differs from film to film, is wholly instinctive and never based on prior considerations.

A director is a man, therefore he has ideas; he is also an artist, therefore he has imagination. Whether they are good or bad, it seems to me that I have an abundance of stories to tell. And the things I see, the things that happen to me, continually renew the supply.

Reality changes so rapidly that if one theme is not dealt with, another presents itself. Allowing one`s attention to be attracted by each little thing has become a vice of the imagination. All one has to do is to keep one`s eyes open: everything becomes full of meaning; everything cries out to be interpreted, reproduced. Thus, there is no one particular film that I would like to make; there is one for every single theme I perceive. And I am excited by these themes, day and night. However, opportunity and other practical considerations limit and direct the choice . . .

Actors are like cows. You have to lead them through a fence.

I am not a theoretician of the cinema. If you ask me what directing is, the first answer that comes into my head is that I don`t know. The second, all my opinions on the subject are in my films.

I feel like a father towards my old films. You bring children into the world, then they grow up and go off on their own. From time to time you get together, and it`s always a pleasure to see them again.