“Half Nelson” is not a story about addiction. The film explores universal political and philosophical themes, such as the impotence of idealism and the failure of liberal dreams. Yet the characters discover how individuals can succeed where social movements fail.

A producer friend of mine went over to the Vatican to show the film. Apparently the Pope liked it and there were witnesses to his favorable response. The Vatican’s spokesperson then gave a statement to us, the L.A. Times, and New York Times. They all got confirmations from the same source. Then all of a sudden, the Vatican denied its earlier statement. I find the whole thing confusing. I don’t know what’s going on. I give up.

This is not a political film; it’s a human story about courage and survival. These men were not concerned with politics. Although my politics and their politics are different, that didn't matter. On a day when we came so close to losing faith in humanity, they helped give that faith back to us.

Cannes Film Fest 2006–“Volver” is a meeting of ?¢¬Ä¬úMildred Pierce?¢¬Ä and ?¢¬Ä¬úArsenic and Old Lace?¢¬Ä, combined with the surrealistic naturalism of my film, ?¢¬Ä¬úWhat have I done to Deserve This?¢¬Ä The film is about Spain's lively working-class neighborhoods, where the immigrants from the various Spanish provinces share dreams, lives, and fortune with a multitude of ethnic groups and other races.

?¢¬Ä¬úI wanted to be true to the time period, but not a slave to it. It?¢¬Ä¬ôs not a story about the morals or manners of the time. Instead, it seeks to explore larger themes about power, perception, truth and illusion.?¢¬Ä