The most important lesson I have learned about making films is this: Don’t get in the way. Stories explain themselves, how they should be told, which voice to use, what shape and tone to follow. If you quiet your ego and listen respectfully, a story will reveal how it wants to be brought to life. In 1989, the brilliant Japanese director Akira Kurosawa received an Honorary Academy Award for a lifetime of outstanding work. He said, “I am very deeply honored, but I have to ask whether I really deserve this. To grasp the essence of cinema is very difficult. I promise to work hard at making movies, and maybe by following this path someday I will understand that essence and earn this award.” What modesty from one of the great directors of all time. His words echo a passage from the Bhagavad Gita: “The first step on the road to enlightenment is humility.”  (13.8-12)

Films