I remember as a kid being asked if I was Jewish or Irish. I said, like the glib little 15-year-old I was, 'You can be both.' Feeling very pleased with myself. Before they smacked me. Lenny Abrahamson More Quotes by Lenny Abrahamson More Quotes From Lenny Abrahamson Film is so much about that intensity of focus that there always needs to be some tension and some forward motion. The novel goes into a series of lovely observations about the world, but you've got to find the story. Lenny Abrahamson lovely focus needs People who don't quite fit society, they are often kind of either under an awful lot of pressure or otherwise not acceptable to the mainstream and that tells us a lot about who we are. The people that don't fit are a great way of reflecting on all of us. Lenny Abrahamson who-we-are awful people There should always be that leeway because if you think of your character as sort of absolutely fixed, then you just try and find actors to come and do exactly that thing, then you're not gonna be working with that actor's own set of internal impulses and who they are, so the best work is always a coming together of the actor and the character. Lenny Abrahamson together character thinking There's a fashion for a macho style of filmmaking. How long can your longest take be? And shooting things in one shot. For me, if you can sort of disappear and make people feel that they are there, that involves massive amounts of work. Lenny Abrahamson me you style work A big part of filmmaking is gathering a group of people you can work with. Lenny Abrahamson group you work people As with any actor and any collaborator, it's about forming a trusting relationship. And that's not that you have to get him to trust you so you can get him to do what you want. Especially with a little kid, it's about making them feel really safe, and getting to know and not treating them as a puppet to be moved around. Lenny Abrahamson feel you trust relationship Delusion is not good; better to be realistic and then surprise yourself if you're lucky. Lenny Abrahamson yourself good you surprise It's something I've noticed with my two children - children frequently know and don't know at the same time. They are aware of aspects of the world that are a little bit shadowy, and they choose not to engage with them. Lenny Abrahamson know time children world Generally speaking, the misfit's story is easier to tell. Lenny Abrahamson speaking story tell easier Ireland is a good place to start out as a filmmaker. If what you do is good, even at a very small scale, it will get recognized. Lenny Abrahamson place start good you Frank's really different from everything I've done. Maybe the one thing that's the same, and the thing that I tend to do, is that I think I can create an intimacy with the characters, like a sense of presence with the people in the film, and that's what I tried to do in 'Room' as well. Lenny Abrahamson think i-can done people There are more ways to make 'Room' badly than well. Lenny Abrahamson room well make more I don't think of myself as doing good works. It's not, 'Oh, I must give these poor people a voice.' Lenny Abrahamson good myself think people I've been in rooms where people are discussing films that have yet to come out and saying delightedly, 'Oh, I've heard it's a disaster!' The jealousy is unseemly. Lenny Abrahamson saying disaster jealousy people The most conventional romantic trope of all is that you put lovers under extreme pressure, where they have to make decisions that illuminate aspects of that bond. Lenny Abrahamson bond you pressure romantic As soon as you make some films that people like, you'll be sent material, and that can come from anywhere. Lenny Abrahamson some like you people You can throw away your script more easily than you can throw away your film. Lenny Abrahamson your more you film When I read 'Room,' I absolutely loved it, and I thought I knew how to make it. Lenny Abrahamson room loved how thought People say that soundstage sets never quite look like reality. But actually, they can. They can be as real as you want as long as you pay attention to the kind of detail that is given for free in a real place. Lenny Abrahamson look you long people In something like 'Frank,' which is a comedy, albeit a strange and emotional one, you can absolutely put in deleted scenes, and we did because they were just funny and great, but they weren't necessary in the overall structure. Lenny Abrahamson great you comedy funny
