Kevin Macdonald

“'Uprising' was one of the first three or four albums I ever bought in 1980 when I was 13, and that had a strong impact on me.”

“If you want to do 'Sword & Sandals' movies, people think that means it equals 'epic.'”

“I've fallen out very badly with some of the subjects I've interviewed, because they see their lives a certain way; to step into a cinema and see your life depicted in another way can come as a terrible shock.”

“I suppose making documentaries is like doing journalism on film.”

“The Internet has meant that advertising has migrated; there are hardly any classifieds in newspapers any more because they're all online. If people have a car to sell, for example, they sell it online; they don't go to the newspaper.”

“I can't claim my grandfather's work has influenced mine directly, but his life certainly inspired me to follow this path.”

“The relationship between director and subject can become very intense. It's a bit like therapy, with lots of transferences going on. It's easy to feel guilty.”

“I love submarine movies.”

“In film, I believe things should either be documentary or drama.”

“I was fascinated by making a submarine movie, inspired by the Kursk disaster. This idea of being trapped down at the bottom of the sea seemed so terrifying. I was very interested in making a sub film which wasn't a military film. You think, Well, why are they there, then, if they're not in the military? Oh, well, they must be looking for treasure.”

“For everybody in the world, the answers to the mysteries in your life usually lie in your childhood, your upbringing, and your parents.”

“Sometimes people give away more by not saying something.”

“It's interesting to me that the Arab Spring started in Tunisia, and in the marches, people were singing 'Get up, stand up, stand up for your rights.'”

“As a filmmaker, I'm interminably curious and nosy, but certain times you meet people and think, 'I don't want to push you too hard because I can see this is painful for you.'”

“I don't read many young adult books.”

“I used the same designer and costume designer on 'The Eagle' and 'The Last King of Scotland.'”

“You can relate to someone with a flaw.”

“Young people read their news online; they expect to get their news for free.”

“What got me into making movies was that I wanted to be a journalist.”

“I recommend to any of you, that's always a good way to make a film: use the interesting bits.”