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Jane Campion

Jane Campion Quotes

Screenwriter

Jane Campion is a New Zealand screenwriter and director known for her distinctive female perspective and profound understanding of the art of film. Born on April 30, 1954, she has been active in the film industry since the 1980s. Campion gained international acclaim with her film 'The Piano,' which won multiple awards, including the Academy Award for Best Director, making her the first woman to receive this honor.

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Famous Jane Campion Quotes

“Only when you are relaxed can you see what's going on.”

Author:Jane Campion

“I think this is interesting, us human creatures are capable of love, and it's a very powerful emotion. It also can go awfully wrong.”

Thinking Humans Interesting Powerful Emotion Creatures Capable Very Powerful Powerful Emotions

Author:Jane Campion

“That's just how I see things on a base level: there's so much going on. Or at least I like to have that feeling. It's part of being interested in notions of reality apart from storytelling. I don't know if it has something to do with having an art school education, which makes you aware of the way visuals speak, or makes you trust them more.”

Ifs Knows Way Art Feelings Reality School Speak Levels Notion Storytelling Visuals Art School School Education

Author:Jane Campion

“There is a different kind of vulnerability when a woman is directing”

Kind Different Vulnerability Different Kinds

Book:Jane Campion: Interviews

Source: Jane Campion: Interviews

“The studio system is kind of an old boys system and it's difficult for them to trust women to be capable”

Kind Difficult Boys Capable Studios

Author:Jane Campion

“It's harder being a woman director because on the whole women don't have husbands or boyfriends who are willing to be wives”

Whole Wife Willing Directors Husband Harder Being A Woman

Book:Jane Campion: Interviews

Source: Jane Campion: Interviews

“I fell in love again (laughs).”

Laughing Love Again

Author:Jane Campion

“Women often postpone their lives, thinking that if they're not with a partner then it doesn't really count. They're still searching for their prince, in a way. And as much as we don't discuss that, because it's too embarrassing and too sad, I think it really does exist.”

Ifs Thinking Way Doe Stills Partners Embarrassing

Author:Jane Campion

“Performers are so vulnerable. They're frightened of humiliation, sure their work will be crap. I try to make an environment where it's warm, where it's OK to fail - a kind of home, I suppose.”

Trying Kind Home Environment Failing Directors Warm Vulnerable Frightened Performers Filmmaking Crap Humiliation

Author:Jane Campion

“I feel that directors at times are like the janitors on the set. I am the secretary, I am the organizer, I am the maid, and I ask if they have eaten or rested. The best things are always out of your control. It's those moments that surpass the imagination that are thrilling.”

Ifs Feels Moments Asks Imagination Directors Best Things Secretary Thrilling Maids Organizer Janitor

Author:Jane Campion

“Because there is that sort of feeling that people don't know what to do with gaps in their lives. It's a scary notion, but actually, if you can stand in space just for a little while, a new door will open, or you'll be able to see in the dark after a while. You'll adjust.”

People Ifs Knows Littles Feelings Able Dark Space Doors Notion Scary Gaps

Author:Jane Campion

“But short films are not inferior, just different. I think the short gives a freedom to film-makers. What's appealing is that you don't have as much responsibility for storytelling and plot. They can be more like a portrait, or a poem.”

Thinking Giving Different Film Responsibility Storytelling Plot Makers Inferiors Portraits Short Films

Author:Jane Campion

“I had a daughter who was 9 years old and I had the feeling I wasn't going to be a real parent if I didn't quit making movies for a while and spend time with her. I also felt that I'd made enough movies and said what I had to say at the time.”

Ifs Years Made Said Real Enough Feelings Mother Felt Parent Daughter Quitting Spend Time Real Parents Enough Movie

Author:Jane Campion

“I think that the romantic impulse is in all of us and that sometimes we live it for a short time, but it's not part of a sensible way of living. It's a heroic path and it generally ends dangerously. I treasure it in the sense that I believe it's a path of great courage. It can also be the path of the foolhardy and the compulsive.”

Thinking Way Believe Ends Sometimes I Believe Path Treasure Impulse Heroic Sensible Short Time Foolhardy

Book:The piano

Source: The piano

“I would love to see more women directors because they represent half of the population and gave birth to the whole world. Without them the rest [of the world] are not getting to know the whole story.”

Knows World Writing Whole Stories Women Half Birth Directors Population Feminist Whole World Women Empowerment Screenwriters Screenwriting

Author:Jane Campion

“Actual violence has no attraction for me at all.”

Violence Attraction

Author:Jane Campion

“As for how criticism of Keats' poetry relates to criticism of my own work, I'll leave that for others to decide.”

My Own Criticism Relate

Author:Jane Campion

“But I think it's quite clear in my work that my orientation isn't political or doesn't come out of modern politics.”

Thinking Political Clear Modern Orientation Modern Politics

Book:Jane Campion: Interviews

Source: Jane Campion: Interviews

“I can't imagine people telling me what to do - I just can't imagine it.”

People I Can Imagine

Author:Jane Campion

“I have to admit that I had a lot of problems with poetry.”

Author:Jane Campion

“I think I made good movies.”

Thinking Made Good Movie

Author:Jane Campion

“I think if it's interesting, it's interesting, and if it's not, it's not working.”

Ifs Thinking Interesting

Author:Jane Campion

“I think the whole tension about romanticism is the way it builds and builds, and the moment it's consummated, the tension's over.”

Thinking Way Whole Moments Tension Romanticism

Author:Jane Campion

“I'm someone who loves to play. I make films so I can have fun with the characters.”

I Can Play Character Film Fun Having Fun

Author:Jane Campion

“If you read Keats's poems, they're often full of doubts and anxieties. They can be quite tough.”

Ifs Doubt Anxiety Tough

Author:Jane Campion

“It's a luxury to be able to tell a long form story. I love novels, and I love to have a long relationship with characters.”

Long Character Stories Able Form Novel Luxury Long Relationship

Author:Jane Campion

“So many actors are not open in front of the camera - they have a persona.”

Actors Fronts Cameras Persona

Author:Jane Campion

“The Piano ended up on television. Everything ends up there anyway.”

Ends Television Piano

Author:Jane Campion

“To deny women directors, as I suspect is happening in the States, is to deny the feminine vision.”

States Vision Directors Happenings Deny Suspects Feminine Ethos

Book:Jane Campion: Interviews

Source: Jane Campion: Interviews

“Tragedy makes you grow up.”

Grows Growing Up Tragedy

Author:Jane Campion

“When you first fall in love it's so thrilling, you can't wait to throw yourself away and make this new wonderful twosome.”

Firsts Fall Waiting Wonderful Falling In Love Thrilling

Author:Jane Campion

“I did this Super-8 film at art school called Tissues, this black comedy about a family whose father has been arrested for child molestation. I was absolutely thrilled by every inch of it, and would throw my projector in the back of my car and show it to anybody who would watch it.”

Children Has Beens Art Shows School Film Father Black Watches Comedy Car Inches Arrested Tissues Art School Projectors Molestation Black Comedy

Author:Jane Campion

“I took four years off after 'In the Cut' because I wanted to see who I'd be without work. I even tried being a hermit in the wilderness in New Zealand. I stayed in a warden's hut two-and-a-half hours off the Routeburn Track through the fjords on the South Island. It was early winter, so there was no electricity or running water.”

Years Two Running Wanted Water Hours Half Four Cutting South Winter Track Islands Wilderness Four Years Electricity New Zealand Half Hours Hermits Huts Running Water Wardens Fjords

Author:Jane Campion

“There was a big drive when I was at art school to make you aware of the economy of meaning - after all, this was still during the tail end of minimalism. Being responsible for everything you put in your picture, and being able to defend it. Keeping everything clear around you so you know what is operating. To open the wound and keep it clean.”

Knows Art Stills Ends Bigs Able School Economy Clear Responsible Clean Wounds Tails Minimalism Being Responsible Art School

Author:Jane Campion

“When I read Andrew Motion's biography, I wept. It's something about the purity of the story and how fresh it was because of the love letters Keats wrote.”

Stories Letters Purity Biographies Andrew Love Letter

Author:Jane Campion

“With 'Bright Star' and with 'The Piano,' too, I felt a kind of sadness about it being in such a different era, because of my lack of experience with the era. And one of the ways I'd get over it is to remind myself that every film, even if it's contemporary, creates its own world.”

Ifs World Way Kind Different Film Stars Felt Sadness Contemporary Eras Piano Over It Get Over Different Eras Bright Star

Author:Jane Campion

“There are some things that are real, that you can see, that you can observe, like the moon, and grass and things. But for ideas to become real, they have to be played on your senses.”

Ideas Real Moon Perception Senses Grass

Author:Jane Campion

“And, I mean, I think poetry does need to be met to some extent, especially, I guess, 19th century poetry, and for me, it's just been so worth the effort. It's like I'm planting a garden in my head.”

Thinking Needs Mean Doe Effort Century Mets Garden 19th Century Planting A Garden

Author:Jane Campion

“Women today are dealing with both their independence and also the fact that their lives are built around finding and satisfying the romantic models we grew up with.”

Facts Today Grew Findings Grew Up Models Built Romantic Independence Satisfying Romantic Love

Author:Jane Campion

“One of the things we learn in movies directed by men is what the 'fantasy woman' is. What we learn in movies directed by women is what real women are about. I don't think that men see things wrong and women right, just that we do see things differently.”

Thinking Men Different Real Women Fantasy Learning Seeing Directors Perception Men And Women Cinema Filmmaker Movie Portraying Portrayal Real Women Women Right

Book:Jane Campion: Interviews

Source: Jane Campion: Interviews

“In some ways Holy Smoke is about people's journey to the heart.”

People Way Heart Journey Holy Smoke

Author:Jane Campion

“What I have learned from my work up to now, is to try to be open, but also protect myself by not letting the good and the evil get too much importance.”

Trying Evil Work Too Much Protect Importance I Have Learned

Author:Jane Campion

“I think that three-act fundamentalism in film culture is a problem sometimes, because it's almost too obvious, or it's too expected. And it's not the only way to fill two hours, or to phrase things, or to order thoughts, or order ideas.”

Thinking Way Two Ideas Sometimes Problem Film Order Culture Three Hours Obvious Expected Phrases Fundamentalism

Author:Jane Campion

“I'm a much better filmmaker than painter. But studying it did make me visually acute and taught me lessons like being economic: Say something once and you don't have to say it again.”

Study Economic Taught Lessons Painter Filmmaker

Author:Jane Campion

“A message I've been telling myself: the cinema is very conservative, and unless you have a story that satisfies you, that is within the unchallenging zone, but you love it, you can't do it as cinema. Otherwise, you better go do it for television, which is more daring now.”

Stories Television Messages Conservative Cinema Zone Daring

Author:Jane Campion

“Between 18 and 26 I acted professionally, on the stage and a little bit on television. Acting is okay, but it's quite pressurized. Then I went to England - I wanted to reinvent myself.”

Littles Wanted Bits Acting Stage Television Little Bit Okay England

Author:Jane Campion

“Eight years ago, I was drawn into Keats's world by Andrew Motion's biography. Soon I was reading back and forth between Keats's letters and his poems. The letters were fresh, intimate and irreverent, as though he were present and speaking. The Keats spell went very deep for me.”

World Years Reading Years Ago Letters Eight Intimate Spells Biographies Back And Forth Very Deep Andrew Irreverent

Author:Jane Campion

“For me, being a director is about watching, not about telling people what to do. Or maybe it's like being a mirror; if they didn't have me to look at, they wouldn't be able to put the make-up on.”

People Ifs Looks Able Directors Mirrors

Author:Jane Campion

“I didn't like England. I couldn't take the look of the place or the style of friendship. I need more intimacy from people than is considered okay there, and I felt that my personality and my enthusiasms weren't understood. I had to put a big lid on myself.”

People Needs Looks Bigs Felt Style Personality Understood Okay England Enthusiasm Intimacy

Book:Jane Campion: Interviews

Source: Jane Campion: Interviews

“I don't belong to any clubs, and I dislike club mentality of any kind, even feminism - although I do relate to the purpose and point of feminism. More in the work of older feminists, really, like Germaine Greer.”

Kind Purpose Feminism Feminist Clubs Relate Dislike Mentality

Author:Jane Campion

About the Author

Born: April 30, 1954
Known for: Screenwriter
Quotes: 63

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Thinking Film Ifs Way People Directors Stories Different Able Kind

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People Ifs Thinking Knows Men World Way Want Love Life Inspirational Needs Giving Feels Should Writing Trying Years Mind Firsts

Books & Sources

Jane Campion: InterviewsRelated source material

The pianoRelated source material

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