I loved cutting together simple commercials about margarine or soft drinks - all kinds of silly products - but I tried to make the commercials differ….

Eventually, in '84, we made a film for a little over a million dollars - with American actors that was shot in English - that was shown in Finland A ….

Several times we were stranded in strange places without any money and with our credit cards cancelled - trapped in a hotel that we couldn't check ou….

You just never give up, no matter how hard the challenges are, and observe this world with a healthy dose of criticism and don't just follow the herd….

I did some film reviews for small papers in Finland and things like that to be able to keep living here..

I loved movies and went to see every movie I could in Finland..

I believe the important part of directing really is finding the right people for the right roles. Sometimes you go for what's expected, and sometimes….

When I follow my heart, usually the results are good..

I became a real Shell Motor Oil expert, and I did this 25-minute film. It turned out really well and, as a result, they offered me more work and lots….

There were a lot of people dreaming about making films, and they would finance maybe 6 films a year. Because they were funded by the government, the ….

I went out to some advertising agencies and asked if I could do anything..

I was making films when I was about 12 years old - Super-8 films..

In Finland, getting a university degree is the first thing that you expect your kids to do..

This was in '79. I got pretty restless there, sitting around with a lot of people sitting around smoking cigarettes and talking about films, but nobo….

Just live in the moment and not be afraid to try things out and make mistakes..

Sometimes you get involved in a film because you just love making movies and you want to keep working. Sometimes you're lucky enough to find somethin….

When I make decisions based on other circumstances, things don't necessarily go so well. So sometimes, even if something seems commercially tempting,….

You want to do something that shows some type individuality and talent and imagination - at the same time, you want to be truthful to the predecessor….

In Hollywood, you tend to get pigeonholed to certain genres, and then when you try to do something different, it's not always so easy. Obviously, you….

It proved to be pretty impossible to get funds for a feature film in Finland. It's still small, but the film industry was miniscule at that point in ….

I decided that, somehow, I had to get out of there and go to Hollywood. I had never been to America..