Ultimately, with every film I'd done before, there was a reference. They have their own uniqueness, but there was always a precedent.

'Biutiful' is a tough film. It doesn't make concessions to the vulgarity of light entertainment. It's not the kind of film that you see every day in the Cineplex. But as an artist, it's the thing that I needed to do.

As a city, it is always compelling. But every day in Mexico City, I give thanks that I am alive.

To make a film is easy; to make a good film is war. To make a very good film is a miracle.

I started off writing TV adverts. I saw those as rehearsals for a feature film.

To shoot a conventional film means that you are always covering yourself. You are putting nets and, in a way, letting bad decisions take over.