"I like to see this film once every few years. I love it for its balance of humor, drama, and its deep affection for our noble and flawed natures. When I remember the film I smile and enjoy very much the breadth of the characters, all the beautiful courageous, broken and romantic samurai. I too want to be one of those samurai, and I want to make such a strong and kind film."

"I would say Peau d’âne, by Jacques Demy, a French musical with Catherine Deneuve, because I fell in love with Catherine Deneuve. I was so impressed. I think that, because I watched her being a princess in that movie, that I wanted to be an actress. She was so amazing, and I love Jacques Demy movies. It’s like a real beautiful fairy tale and, I just watch that movie again and again."

"To prepare our auditions for Looking, we were advised by casting to watch Andrew Haigh’s 2011 film, in order to get an idea of the tone for the show. Truly one of the most beautiful love stories I’ve seen. It felt like the filmmaker was trying to capture true intimacy and not some bloated, storybook version of it. Tom Cullen and Chris New do truly compelling work. I love this film so much."

"I actually prefer the French title, À ma soeur! (To my sister!). I think that some people see Catherine Breillat as a theoretical director, but I think of her as a humanistic one, and you get that from the title. The sister in the film is trying to fit into this family, and the way that Breillat looks at her is so beautiful. The girl is yearning for physical contact in such an intense way."

"I used to want ‘Primavera’ by Ludovico Einaudi played, but I realised it’s used on an advert for a horrible bank. I don’t want everyone sitting there in the pews thinking of fucking Santander! So now I want ‘Metamorphosis One’ by Philip Glass. I don’t want anything with lyrics. A beautiful piece of instrumental music communicates your emotions in a way words never can. ‘Metamorphosis One’ has a dry melancholy to it that’s also uplifting"

"Prince is a legend and this album sealed the deal. From 'Let's Go Crazy' to 'When Doves Cry' and 'I Would Die 4 U,' this album is so great to listen to. But the song 'The Beautiful Ones' melts me every time—his passion is so tangible! This is really an intense song about the deepest longing and the frustration of unrequited love. Whenever I listen to it, it reminds me of that feeling."

"I know it was written by Prince, but I’m going to go with the Sinead O’Connor version. Oh my God, and the video’s just a close-up of her beautiful bald head and those eyes. It actually inspired me to want to shave my head for a little while. I’m really glad my mom didn’t let me. I have to thank her for that. I don’t think I have the head for it."

"The two supreme works of childhood/horror. Lamentations of worlds lost and the innocents trapped in them. Sublime fairy tales of despair that depict the adult world as a toxic environment for kids to exist in. Secret treasures kept in the hearts of children must be safeguarded from the corruption of an adult world full of certainty and arrogance. Both films are so beautiful and so dark—they truly make me weep in awe."