[on Akira Kurosawa] Other filmmakers have more money, more advanced techniques, more special effects. Yet no one has surpassed him.

I had my first feature film as late as when I was 37, so I've got no time to duplicate."

Because of the influence of Chinese martial arts films, Hollywood movies are changing. The actions in the films are more beautiful, more rhythmic, and use some enhanced special effects. I think it's a great thing.

To Western audiences, Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, for example, is seen as something very refreshing - to see man-powered flight. But now there are more and more of these kinds of films, American movies have also begun to adopt these kinds of scenes with people flying. So after watching lots of these films, people will get used to seeing this exaggerated artistic style, and it won't be so strange any more.

Western audiences can gain an impression of China from my films. This is an excellent channel for promoting China's culture.

Many things, feelings especially, are common to all human beings. As long as the film appeals to universal human feelings, all audiences will enjoy it.

When I look back at the times I shot artistic movies, I found I learned quite a lot from them. So in the future, I hope to do both - make more personal films which I prefer; and in certain circumstances, I will shoot some other commercial movies like these two [Hero and House of Flying Daggers].

The Cultural Revolution was a very special period of Chinese history, unique in the world. It was part of my youth. It happened between when I was 16 and when I was 26. During those 10 years, I witnessed so many terrible and tragic things. For many years, I have wanted to make movies about that period - to discuss the suffering and to talk about fate and human relationships in a world which people couldn't control and which was very hostile. I would like to make not just one but many movies, both autobiographical and drawing on other people's stories. I'll just have to wait.

The Chinese censorship system has been in practice for many years. I don't think there will be much change in society in the short run. This situation has been present for a long time and it is a reality in China. I work and live in this system. There has not been a significant change.

The objective of any form of art is not political. I had no political intentions. I am not interested in politics.

For thousands of years, there's been a tradition of teaching us in China to think in terms of the collective experience, so we are rarely able to act in accordance with personal desires or emotions. Now young people, especially under Western influences, have become much more interested in themselves and their own values.