An adaptation of one of my books. Making this was hard work – but producer John Archer and editor Timo Langer got me through it.

Shooting at the grave of Ozu Yasujiro. Gus Van Sant signs his name.

The film went to lots of places and was reviewed in lots of places. The writer of The Graduate, Buck Henry, sent me the above New York Times review and said “from now on it’s down hill.”

The ending, in Senegal. We march around a huge Dakar sculpture to... cinema.