I was a freestyle dancer; I wasn't trained. Andrea Arnold More Quotes by Andrea Arnold More Quotes From Andrea Arnold When your characters are really living they tell you what they do. Andrea Arnold filmmaking character directors I always think that if you look at anyone in detail, you will have empathy for them because you recognize them as a human being, no matter what they've done. Andrea Arnold empathy details thinking I wonder whether my bleak-o-meter is set differently from other people's. I have such passion for what I do that I can't see it as bleak. When people use that word, or “grim” or “gritty,” I just think, “Oh, come on, look a bit deeper.” My films don't give you an easy ride. I can see that. The sense I get is that people have quite a physical experience with them. They feel afterwards that they've really been through something. Andrea Arnold passion people thinking I personally love to see films not knowing very much about them. When you see it, it's like a flower opening up. I deliberately never read about films before I see them. Andrea Arnold opening-up flower knowing I work best when there is adversity: I seem to get calmer the more the fur is flying. Andrea Arnold fur adversity flying I can't remember why or how I started writing, but I think it was always a way of making sense of the world. Andrea Arnold writing world thinking I find it kind of weird that directors want to put themselves in their films. Andrea Arnold kind want directors I'm never going back to the past. It is like when I am driving - I never like to do those routes that take you backwards and make you go the long way. I always like to do the shortcuts and go forward. Andrea Arnold long way past I never write with an actor in mind - never. Andrea Arnold actors mind writing I do believe some people can naturally act and don't know it. Andrea Arnold knows believe people I don't feel very revengeful in life at all. Andrea Arnold revengeful feels I grew up with a lot of Hollywood films. Cozy farm houses, cowboys, nice flats in New York. Especially as a kid, those things have a huge impression on you. Andrea Arnold nice new-york kids I don't read reviews. Andrea Arnold reviews I don't think estates are grim places. Andrea Arnold estates grim thinking I don't want to think too much about me. Andrea Arnold too-much want thinking America is a huge country, of course. It's complicated. There's good, and there's not so good, and that's the same wherever you live. Andrea Arnold complicated country america Interestingly, I never thought Id do an adaptation. Ive also been quite against them. I think trying to translate one medium to another is wrong. I never really felt that books fitted into film. Generally people are disappointed, arent they? Andrea Arnold book people thinking I hear filmmakers saying, 'I wanted to make to make a film about this issue, or this theme,' but I never start like that. Andrea Arnold theme issues film I just like doing things from my own head. Andrea Arnold my-own I've always loved America. Andrea Arnold america