So when I was very young, I longed for Brazil. Walter Salles More Quotes by Walter Salles More Quotes From Walter Salles The other aspect is that you become much more aware of the structural problems that pertain to that continent. You feel the need to act to try and solve them. Walter Salles problems feel try you I come from a country and also a continent whose identity is in the making. We're a very young culture, and I think that things are not yet crystallised. Walter Salles think identity country culture A filmmaker can never be distant from his roots. Walter Salles distant his never roots Also, I knew that the impact of Motorcycle Diaries was going to be so resonant for all of us who went through the experience of making it that I didn't want to do anything that could reflect it. Walter Salles motorcycle impact experience want Also, there are now new laws in Brazil which create incentives for Argentine and Latin American films to be premiered and distributed in Brazil and vice versa. Walter Salles american new create now And my generation in Brazil was influenced by Cinema Novo. So we're echoing what's been done way in the past. Walter Salles generation cinema way past But I also think that the more you reason collectively about what the project should be at the beginning of the process, the more you can improvise later. Walter Salles beginning think you process I come from Brazil, which is a Portuguese speaking part of the continent. Walter Salles which come part brazil I did documentaries for maybe 10 years before I turned to fiction films. Walter Salles maybe before fiction years I went to Cuba maybe eight or nine times. Walter Salles maybe cuba eight nine I'm much more interested in living specific experiences in films. Walter Salles experiences interested more living It was a complex endeavor so without Robert Redford's constant support we wouldn't have gotten to the end. Walter Salles complex without end support My father was a diplomat for part of his life and I jumped from country to country and culture to culture. Walter Salles life country culture father No, I worked a lot for European television, doing documentaries in Brazil. Walter Salles doing documentaries brazil television On the contrary, I'm a strong believer in the necessity of imperfection coming into the film. Walter Salles coming imperfection film strong So I feel a responsibility to help first-time film-makers in Brazil, but also to increase the dialogue between film cultures which are really wonderful and so much closer to us than what we do see on our screens. Walter Salles help feel see responsibility So the search for a father in Central Station is also a search for a country. Walter Salles also search country father That's why I have always admired documentaries, because they open windows that can make you understand much better where you come from, much better than fiction, I think. Walter Salles better understand think you The films that I've done before were original stories most of the time, I did two adaptations before this, but they were mostly original stories where I had complete freedom to evolve in the direction I wanted. Walter Salles direction freedom done time The necessity to conceptualise has to come very early on, and defining a vector of development for that film also at the beginning of the process will allow you much more freedom as you go along. Walter Salles will beginning you freedom