No heirloom of humankind captures the past as do art and language.

Epistemology is the study of knowledge. By what conduit do we know what we know?

By showing hunger, deprivation, starvation and brutality, as well as endurance and nobility, documentaries inform, prod our memories, even stir us to action. Such films do battle for our very soul.

I am a universalist, passionately devoted to the cause of equality within the human family.

I am a Zionist, an ardent supporter of Israel, its defender when I deem Israel to be right and its critic when I deem it to be wrong.

We live in a world of guns, bombs and terror. To conquer hate seems a nigh-impossible task.

The artist who aims at perfection in everything achieves it in nothing.

An artist is somebody who produces things that people don't need to have.

Art itself is knowledge of the spiritual world. Art is information from higher forces, by those who are talented. I'm not jiving.

In Japan, I am famous in certain special circles - mainly as someone who is trying to break down and enlighten the conventions of Japanese art.

I don't listen to what art critics say. I don't know anybody who needs a critic to find out what art is.

Right after 'Raymond' I had a world-is-my-oyster attitude, but I found out I don't like oysters. I had this existential emptiness. 'What is my purpose? Who am I?' I had a big identity crisis.