Paul Haggis Quotes

I hope my films will never completely be without the ability to mark anybody.

They're reacting and that's wonderful. It's better than them sitting there doing nothing. I say make them react - do whatever's in your power to move the audience, and if that's where it is, and there where it is with America, sex and violence, then I say project it.

I want to put concepts in front of people that make them laugh or smile or even hate what I do. I'm not interested in just putting clothes in stores.

We like reactions - a reaction is walking out on us, a reaction is throwing tomatoes at the stage, that's a healthy psychological reaction.

I love polarizing people.

I am very conscious of the viewer because that's where the art takes place. My work really strives to put the viewer in a certain kind of emotional state.

I like to challenge the audience. I want people to feel discomfort.

Emotionally involving the audience is easy. Anybody can do it blindfolded: get a little kitten and have some guy wring its neck.

You have a responsibility for the way you make the audience feel, and I want them to feel uncomfortable.

For me, there is nothing more valuable than how people feel in a movie theater about a movie.

I love being objected to. It worries me, but I love being objected to.

I never deliberately set out to shock, but when people don't walk out of my plays I think there is something wrong.

If someone gets up and walks out of the movie, it means it's really affected them.

I want people to come see my films and enjoy them, but at the end of the day you can't control what people think.

Calling Rand Paul 'the most interesting man in politics' is an invitation to an argument - but one we suspect he'd love to have.

I love playing to people and seeing them react.

Controversy is always a beautiful thing. I love controversy and I try to fan it as much as I can without having my husband's head pop off!

I'm trying to get under people's skin in a way. I don't like films that go in one ear and out the other.

There's so much to argue about. That was the goal with 'Really Really.' Somebody asked me once, 'How should I feel when I leave?' and I said, 'Hopefully, you're talkative.' I don't really care if you're happy or sad or loved it or hated it or hate me. The goal is that you have something to say, that you have a response.

A rock'n'roll band needs to be able to get under people's skin. You should be able to clear the room at the drop of a hat.

I want to be embraced by the audience, but it's fun to stir up the pot.

The most important thing is to illicit some reaction, good or bad. If some people are repellent to me, so be it. If some people are attracted to me, great. At the end, that's the object of entertainment - you want to provoke a reaction.

I want to shake people up so bad, that when they leave a nightclub where I've performed, I just want them to be to pieces.

I think it's cool to provoke something in people.

People will love or hate 'Satta' and 'Stumped.' But they cannot ignore them.