Things I’ve Learned As A Moviemaker

On Seeing the Big Picture

I like to direct each scene knowing it’s part
of a much bigger fabric.

On Rehearsing Actors

If you rehearse them too much, they get stale. You need a certain flexibility.

On Film as a Collaborative Effort

If you have a DP or a designer who really opposes
you, you will end up making three different films.

On Using Color to Reflect Mood

You can make colors cold or warm; you can use them
to reflect mood. I have done things with the cameraman where the
character was lonely or upset and we sort of blued the room; made
all the colors rather cold and unpleasant. Not in an obvious
way, but it reinforces the way a character feels.

Filmography

Boswell for the Defense (2001)
Bride of the Wind (2001)
Ataturk (2000)
Double Jeopardy (1999)
Sydney: A Story of a City (1999)
Last Dance (1996)
Silent Fall (1994)
A Good Man in Africa (1994)
Rich in Love (1992)
Black Robe (1991)
Mister Johnson (1990)
Her Alibi (1989)
Driving Miss Daisy (1989)
Aria (1987)
Crimes of the Heart (1986)
The Fringe Dwellers (1986)
King David (1985)
Tender Mercies (1983)
Puberty Blues (1981)
The Club (1980)
Breaker Morant (1980)
Money Movers (1979)
The Getting of Wisdom (1977)
Don’s Party (1976)
Side by Side (1976)
Barry Mackenzie Holds His Own (1974)
The Adventures of Barry Mackenzie (1972)