Grief and memory go together. After someone dies, that's what you're left with. And the memories are so slippery yet so rich. Mike Mills More Quotes by Mike Mills More Quotes From Mike Mills People ask 'How does doing a film compare to doing an ad?' Well, when you're doing a commercial you don't have to sell tickets. You have a captured audience. Which is actually completely rare and great; it gives you a lot of freedom. When you make a film, you have to do advertisements for the film. Mike Mills tickets giving people Life is too short for a half-rack. Mike Mills racks life-is-too-short half It's funny now how much we look at - whatever you want to call it: art, design, culture stuff, film - online, and how in the online world, you're instantly global. Mike Mills design culture art The oldest sibling always knows things that the younger ones don't. Mike Mills sibling knows To me it's like, every time I'm a director, like today, you're the captain of the ship, so you better dress like it. You're the host of the party. Mike Mills party dresses today No one leaves the edit room thinking, 'Yeah, I nailed that one!' Everyone I know goes into their first premiere or their first screening thinking, 'I screwed up so bad. I'm sorry, I messed up.' It's just a real common feeling. Mike Mills real sorry thinking Film is endlessly just beyond your reach. I think that's what I love so much about it. Mike Mills film thinking I am intrigued by inanimate objects. They're a piece of history, someone's statement and ideas of life. Mike Mills inanimate-objects pieces ideas I definitely believe in the energy of the set and the energy of the actor, way more than your written word. Mike Mills actors believe way I don't really believe that documentary is objective reality and fiction is all illusion. Mike Mills documentaries believe reality I guess I watch movies to make myself happier a lot. Mike Mills watch-movie watches I'm not a craftsman of graphics or art or film. I'm more of an idea generator and manufacturer. Mike Mills film ideas art L.A. is so isolated and unhip in a way; it gives you room to figure out who you are and explore more personal stuff. Mike Mills stuff giving way To me, sadness and humor aren't disrelated and humor is the best tool I've had against the sadness in my life. Mike Mills sadness tools Over and over again, I'm trying to express or communicate these big and small struggles to the world, and really to myself. Mike Mills struggle trying world When a film works, the director had a lot to do with that, but the director also didn't have a lot to do with that. There are so many moving parts. It's really about being open to how the river is flowing and trying to get on the river. Mike Mills river being trying moving I feel like kids are the perfect psychic investigators of their parents, and kids understand their parents' unconscious better than the parents ever do. Mike Mills parents feel better understand Everyone talks to their dog, and then in your mind the dog talks back. A talking dog can provide the words that a stunted protagonist finds difficult to muster. Mike Mills words back dog mind Life doesn't just happen; it's constructed through the history of power. And that's something I am interested in and so is the art world: a world that's trying to engage socially, with a leftist slant, to work out how we got here. Mike Mills work life history art I think that talking about the personal specificity, personal details, is how you get the big, big audiences - by talking about your relationships or your personal tragedies. If you reach out with that energy, you'll touch people. Mike Mills think you energy people
