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The man who has stolen in order never to thieve again remains a thief. Nobody who has ever betrayed his principles can have a pure relationship with life. Therefore when a film-maker says he will produce a pot-boiler in order to give himself the strength and the means to make the film of his dreams — that is so much deception, or worse, self-deception. He will never now make his film.

— Andrei Tarkovsky Sculpting in Time (1986)

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More quotes by Andrei Tarkovsky

Art is realistic when it strives to express an ethical ideal. Realism is striving for truth, and truth is always beautiful. Here the aesthetic coincides with the ethical.

Sculpting in Time (1986)

We know perfectly well that neither love nor peace of mind can be bought with any currency.

Sculpting in Time (1986)

Art symbolises the meaning of our existence.

Sculpting in Time (1986)

"Man is born unto the trouble as the sparks fly upwards." In other words suffering is germane to our existence; indeed, how without it, should we be able to "fly upwards".

Sculpting in Time (1986)

It is obvious that art cannot teach anyone anything, since in four thousand years humanity has learnt nothing at all.

Sculpting in Time (1986)

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Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Andrei Tarkovsky (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.