Have you received offers to direct a movie in the U.S.? Is that something you’d want to do?
Well, I’ve signed with the creative agency CAA, and they’ve given me a lot of hope. They’ve promised I’ll make some English movies in future. It’s funny, because that used to be a very big goal: I was really hungry to make movies outside China. I thought this was the only way I could make good movies. But after City of Life and Death, I’ve changed my mind. Now I think I can stand on Chinese ground and be a fighter. I can preserve my soul and spirit, and never lie to my audience. I can be an independent director here and show my work to the whole world.

City of Life and Death begins a 2-week engagement at New York’s Film Forum on May 11, and will play in fifteen other U.S. cities over the summer. For a full schedule, click here.