“I've noticed that one of the things that they [actors] all seem to exclusively need is for the directors to pay attention. It would be hard for them to do what they do if you were just on the cell phone and not watching. And I can imagine there'd be situations where the director might be paying attention to something other than the actor. I think that one of the ways of directing is just to know what you're watching and not losing concentration.”

“have this new theory about films. It's almost like astrology, where if we started on a Tuesday the film will be different than if we started on a Wednesday. Not because of the planets. It's that sometimes you start with the wrong balance and the whole thing gets messed up.”

Gus van Sant grew up in a prosperous middle-class family, which, however, moved frequently as his father’s job was moved.  Even at school he was interested in painting and in making short films on super 8.  He studied art at the Rhode Island School of Design but whilst here was introduced to avant-garde film, and so he changed his specialisation to film.  After a spell in Europe he moved to Los Angeles in 1976 where he worked for writer/director Ken Shapiro.  He became fascinated with the people who lived on the margins of Los Angeles society, and has ever since constantly returned to the marginalised as subjects of his movies.  He financed his first film Mala Noche by working in advertising in New York.  It was a critical success but he was unable to get finance for projects in LA and so moved to Portland, Oregon, which has been his base ever since.  Drugstore Cowboy, closely followed by My Own Private Idaho really established his place in the independent directors’ pantheon.  Since then he has alternated between the commercial (Good Will Hunting, Finding Forrester) and the outright experimental (Gerry).  His films have won many awards including the Cannes Palme d’Or for Elephant.  Although openly gay, and although many of his films feature gay characters, he has never made it a political issue and/or the topic of the movie.  He has written a novel, Pink, published a book of photographs and has two music albums in publication.  A renaissance man.