Cinema does not copy life; it directs it. However, no matter how well one tries to hide, from the omissions and guilty silences, between the lines, behind the page, and behind the images, the indelible and infallible impression emerges from the insignificant.

Again, time will tell. Perhaps not even that. It may be that the arts have a certain lifespan, just like living beings. In any case, I wouldn't mind if my life and my films were like the humble flowers that sprout and fade away in a wonderful absence of purpose.

[Excerpt from the text on the back cover of the edition]