Lee won an Oscar for best director for his magical epic, Life of Pi. (Photo provided to China Daily)
"The most important thing as a human being is to be faithful to your heart. No matter how the market expands, film is still something close to your heart," says Lee.
"Celebrities and gossip easily dominate headlines. But a movie is not like a several-minute music video. The audiences want to see a production that can touch them and relate to them emotionally."
As a prestigious filmmaker who has worked with such stars as Kate Winslet and Hugh Grant, Lee says that film studios should not worry if a quality film cannot afford A-listers.
"I know many big stars want to make quality films. They would compromise on the pay for a good story. It's a very common phenomenon that most of the A-list actors pursue artistic reputation as well as money from big-budget titles," he says.
From the CGI magic of Life of Pi to his latest drama, Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk, Lee is known for his persistence in pursuing the state-of-art technology.
Most of present-day films are shot using the industry-standard of 24 frames per second. But Billy Lynn's Long Halftime Walk is the first feature film shot at 120 frames per second－technology which will offer better-quality imagery.
"I'm a curious guy when it comes to the image world. I just have a bit of ambition to do something that has never been done."
While asked how newbie filmmakers can become quickly established or qualified, Lee's suggestion is to do the opposite.
"Don't let them go too fast. I started my career at 36. So no worries for you young guys," says the director, who began to shoot his first feature, Pushing Hands, in 1990, after being jobless for six years.
"A heartwarming project needs to wait until it's mature. Time has the power to polish skills and experience. Be patient," says Lee.
He also fears that Chinese financers' eagerness to earn money will damage the Chinese film industry.
A number of similar stories, sequences and characters will bore audiences and exhaust talent, he says.
"If the audiences are getting tired, it's not a matter of which genre to shoot but about whether cinemas will still draw people," he says.
