WC: One thing I do want to ask about in terms of the difference from photography to film is how different is it working with actors in a dramatic movie to musicians in a music video or photography subjects. What's been the big difference between those different areas of your career? AC: Yeah, well, big. It was not an easy step. Though some people think it's just a logical step forward, it wasn't for me because because as a photographer I work very solitarily and as a filmmaker you can't. As a character I'm more introverted and as a film director you can't be, so it was not easy. I had no experience in proper directing actors. I sometimes used an actor in one of my videos, but I had to learn a lot. Samantha Morton has been very helpful - she was in one of my videos that I did with U2 and that's how she was asked to be in Control. WC: And you have worked with some amazing actors; Clooney, Hoffman, DeHaan. In terms of casting, has your casting approach changed as you've worked with more actors and you know more what you want? AC: Well, I like to think I got better at feeling what actors can do what because that's a whole new thing for me: to imagine what actors can do so you don't typecast them for roles they've already done. And, you know, George Clooney I liked it when he was very dark. He's more comfortable when he's playing the George Clooney we know because he's great at that, but the darker roles don't come naturally to him. That's why I liked him in the dark role because it's not something he normally does. And it was a revelation to work with to work with Phillip - I learnt a lot from him. So I've been very blessed to work with some great people. WC: One final difference between photography and movies I'd like to ask about is how criticism and reviews are done. Some of your movies have proven divisive with the mainstream film press. How've you found that criticism varies between stuff like still photography and cinema? And have you found that impacts your process? AC: Well you know it's never easy to be a public figure in that sense. In photography it's not an industry. I guess you sometimes get criticism, but it's different. With film it's so pushed out in the open there's no way to avoid criticism and I've become much easier with it. You just have to make a film you want to see yourself and not try to please people. So inevitably there is criticism, and with some films more than with others. Sometimes it baffles me and sometimes I think "Oh maybe they have a point", so it's something I've learned to accept much easier than for the first film, first two films I guess. Life is out on DVD/Blu-ray/Download from 1st February
