Michel Hazanavicius

It's just incredible. When you're French, coming from a non-English language country, you don't even dream about Oscar recognition or nominations. It's just beyond the dream. It's something very, very special and unique. It's the highest recognition any filmmaker could dream of.

You - as a director, you have to do your job, you have to show things, and you don't have to ask the actors to do it, or the dialogue.

My ambition with 'Redoubtable' was to make a film that would be aesthetically pleasing, charming, and touching.

When we were making the movie, winning awards for it wasn't the point at all. We didn't even have an American distributor.

I watched a lot of silent movies. It's a very specific way of writing, which is more of a challenge than the directing. You have to describe images. It's easier to shoot them.

I make almost all the decisions on set and have to deal with all the financial aspects.

With silent films, you're better off avoiding irony, because the spectator is your accomplice. It's this pact that leads to emotion being created.

Some people probably think me telling Godard's story is blasphemy. My friends were worried. But he's not my hero or my god. Godard is like the leader of a sect, and I'm an agnostic.

But I don't think of myself as a foreigner or a Frenchman! I just think of myself as a director.

But I don't think of myself as a foreigner or a Frenchman! I just think of myself as a director. Whether I'm French or Australian or whatever, it's really not important.

I think being a foreigner and talking about Hollywood allowed me to use some cliches and some references that an American would maybe not use.

I love silent cinema but don't hold it sacred. Like any branch of film there are some very boring films alongside the masterpieces.