My work is about life as you and I experience it. You're either lucky or you're not lucky; either your relationship works or it doesn't. Mike Leigh experiencelifelucky Change image and share on social
I'm old enough to have friends and contemporaries who have long since retired, and that's their prerogative - enough is enough; it doesn't mean a thing to me. But I haven't got any money, so, you know, I just keep on working. Mike Leigh contemporaryfriendlong share on social
Film-makers should remain true to their principles and never compromise, there is a real revival in the British film industry but there is a danger that we will become colonial servants of Hollywood. We need to maintain our own integrity. Mike Leigh britishcolonialcompromise share on social
I feel very much ideologically, politically if you like, and emotionally part of the European cinema. Mike Leigh cinemaemotionallyeuropean Change image and share on social
You will find hardly any improvising on camera anywhere in my films. It's very structured, but it's all worked out from elaborate improvisations over a long period, as you know. Mike Leigh cameraelaboratefilm Change image and share on social
I try and create for the audience something that relates to real-life experience. Mike Leigh audiencecreateexperience Change image and share on social
I've long since stopped worrying about how I'm portrayed in the press because ultimately it's not that important. Everyone who knows me knows I do what I do with the greatest integrity. Mike Leigh greathaveimportant Change image and share on social
I think it's important that nobody forgets that although Hollywood commercially dominates the world cinema, in fact what comes out of the filmmaking here is only a tiny slice out of the massive amount of operation that goes on around the world. Mike Leigh amountcinemacommercially share on social
I've walked out of films. But for every film I've ever walked out of, I've probably walked out of 500 plays. Mike Leigh filmhaveplay Change image and share on social
The whole thing about making films in an organic film on location is that it's not all about characters, relationships and themes, it's also about place and the poetry of place. It's about the spirit of what you find, the accidents of what you stumble across. Mike Leigh accidentcharacterfilm share on social