So I left with Jean Claude and went to Paris, so when the Russians came to Prague, I was in Paris.

So, thanks God, our films, our first films were suddenly being appreciated by the Western media; especially France was very good, and Switzerland was very good.

You know, 20 years... the films of television when it started, the literature, radio in communist countries, they're clean as a whistle; there was no violence, no sex, no drugs, nothing.

Memories are doing funny things to us.

When I came for the first time to the United States, visiting, I was absolutely fascinated by New York.

So I left with Jean Claude and went to Paris, so when the Russians came to Prague, I was in Paris.

Humor was not important only for me, humor was important for this nation for centuries, to survive, you know.

And everything is controlled and everybody is a member of some committee, because then their watchdogs placed in the committees can control everything, what this person says or how this person think(s), you know.

Now, after the communist take-over in 1948, the amount of feature films produced dwindled to three a year, while the school was, you know, every year another three, four, five students.

Well, I wouldn't say that this experience had any influence on my decision to do this film about Andy, because Andy was apolitical. Andy was never political.

Because if you lived, as I did, several years under Nazi totalitarianism, and then 20 years in communist totalitarianism, you would certainly realize how precious freedom is, and how easy it is to lose your freedom.

Because I just loved to spend two years of my life in the company of Andy Kaufman and other characters.

I get out of the taxi and it's probably the only city which in reality looks better than on the postcards, New York.

And also they were absolutely brilliant in one way, you know: they knew how effective is not to punish somebody who is guilty; what Communist Party members could afford to do was mind-boggling: they could do practically anything they wanted - steal, you know, lie, whatever.

I remember in 1968 when we were in Cannes, in the festival, and we were supposed to be there 10 days, and the second day the festival collapsed because the French, you know, film-makers raised the red flag in the festival and ended the festival.

The worst evil is - and that's the product of censorship - is the self-censorship, because that twists spines, that destroys my character because I have to think something else and say something else, I have to always control myself.

People must not think that all bad in man which is unleashed, the moment you impose censorship disappears from man.

First of all, whoever didn't want to be a member of this association or the other association, was branded, you know, like a dangerous individualist, you know, infected by the Western decadence, you know. So everybody joined.

You know what happened, you know, in 1938: France, England, you know, just sold out Czechoslovakia to Hitler.

I think everybody dreamt somehow to make a film in Hollywood, you know.

I tell you, in my opinion, the cornerstone of democracy is free press - that's the cornerstone.

First of all, to defend my work, I had to believe that I am doing a totally silly, stupid, innocent comedy.

Well, listen, you know, the Czech saying is, you know, when you are drowning you are grabbing even a little twig. That's what all Czechs were doing, grabbing for... with the hope for this little twig.

When I look back now, it must have been like Paris was at the time of Le Sacre du Printemps.

At home in Paris I take a milk bath two times a week, but here on the road it is more difficult. I miss them.

One of the special characteristics of New York is that it is different from a London or a Paris because it's the financial capital, and the cultural capital, but not the political capital.

You have people who can't act and they get all these parts. Paris Hilton falls into her own category. She's made a career out of it.

If you want to establish an international presence you can't do so from New York. You need the consecration of Paris.

I made the decision to come back to New York, quit my job and move to Paris.

The colors I choose there was to paint the first hotel, the Disneyland Hotel. Because of the cloudy sky we had in Paris, it had to be a particular kind of color who will fight those grey days. And also something you can see when you're driving up 'There it is! We're arriving!'

When Paris has to pee, Paris has to pee!

Good talkers are only found in Paris.

I stayed three weeks in Paris, fell in love with the city, and decided that I was born to live in Paris.

I was in Paris at an English-language bookstore. I picked up a volume of Dickinson's poetry. I came back to my hotel, read 2,000 of her poems and immediately began composing in my head. I wrote down the melodies even before I got to a piano.

I was backstage in Paris and saw Cindy Crawford doing House Of Style. I thought, I would love to to be in control of my career.

The audience that surprised us the most was definitely Paris, when we played there last. They were just incredibly into us and we weren't expecting it at all.

When I was at school at Paris, I had special lessons from Mademoiselle Antoine, an actress at the Comedie Francaise, and I was taken to every sort of play. I felt very grand.

I've never seen the Osbournes, I've never seen Paris Hilton. I'd rather read than watch reality TV. I'd rather live life than watch somebody else living it.

Well, let's say we acknowledged the School of French Painting - the Paris School of painting as the leading force and vitality of the time. I think that was understood and felt and experienced.

It was so quiet that morning in Paris that the heels of my two companions and myself were loud on the deserted pavements. It was a city of shuttered shops, and barred windows, and deserted avenues.

I will always remember this summer day in Paris, when I was to perform a great acrobatic move. I can still see myself stepping on the ring of a packed circus along real performers.

I've been to Paris France and I've been to Paris Paramount. Paris Paramount is better.

We had maybe the greatest success of any company that I know of in Paris, and after two or three years I wanted to do this same number that we did for PBS, so we did it and Paris had always considered us their darlings.

Whoever would have guessed that in the land of cheap sausages and mashed potatoes there could be such a change which would actually bring the French from Paris every weekend to invade Britain en masse to eat great food and drink great wine.

America is a nation with no truly national city, no Paris, no Rome, no London, no city which is at once the social center, the political capital, and the financial hub.

If I look at it, it's about being able to get lost in New York, to explore the city, to have more personal stories about New York, although some could also take place in Paris.

The moon is essentially gray, no color. It looks like plaster of Paris, like dirty beach sand with lots of footprints in it.

The dark outside world of Paris under German occupation exerted a strong containing pressure.

So I left with Jean Claude and went to Paris, so when the Russians came to Prague, I was in Paris.