--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When I met Akira Kurosawa in Japan, one…" description: "\"When I met Akira Kurosawa in Japan, one question he asked me was, \"How did you actually make the children act the way they do? I do have children in my..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d25/abbas-kiarostami-2631_children_when-i-met-akira-kurosawa-in-japan-one-q_1099811.jpg" --- # When I met Akira Kurosawa in Japan, one question he asked… ![“When I met Akira Kurosawa in Japan, one question he asked me was, "How did you actually make the children act the way they do? I do have children in my films but I find that I reduce and reduce their presence until I have to get rid of them because there's no way that I can direct them." My own…” quote by Abbas Kiarostami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d25/abbas-kiarostami-2631_children_when-i-met-akira-kurosawa-in-japan-one-q_1099811.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d25/abbas-kiarostami-2631_children_when-i-met-akira-kurosawa-in-japan-one-q_1099811.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d25/abbas-kiarostami-2631_children_when-i-met-akira-kurosawa-in-japan-one-q_1099811.jpg) > “When I met Akira Kurosawa in Japan, one question he asked me was, "How did you actually make the children act the way they do? I do have children in my films but I find that I reduce and reduce their presence until I have to get rid of them because there's no way that I can direct them." My own thought is that one is very grand, like an emperor on a horse, and it's very hard for a child to relate to that. In order to be able to cooperate with a child, you have to come down to below their level in order to communicate with them.” [Abbas Kiarostami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbas-kiarostami/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A director must meet children at their own level, simplifying authority to foster genuine performance. **In simple terms:** Treat kids as equals, not distant authority. Key Takeaway Adapt your approach to match the child's perspective. Themes communication creativity directing childhood collaboration Mood reflective inquisitive empathetic Type instructional philosophical inspirational When to use this quote - film set with child actors - educational workshops - family counseling - team building - parenting Key Concepts Power dynamics authenticity empathy Questions to Reflect On - How can you balance authority and empathy when guiding young collaborators? - What strategies help maintain authenticity without compromising artistic vision? A Different Perspective Children may resist if they sense condescension, limiting authentic expression. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Film](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/film/) [Japan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/japan/) [Kurosawa](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/kurosawa/) ## Related quotes > [In order to be able to cooperate with a child, you have to come down to below their level in order to communicate with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbas-kiarostami/in-order-to-be-able-to-cooperate-with-a-child-you-have-to-come-down/) [Abbas Kiarostami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbas-kiarostami/) > [The term 'giant' is used too often to describe artists. But in the case of Akira Kurosawa, we have one of the rare instances…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-scorsese/the-term-giant-is-used-too-often-to-describe-artists-but-in-the-case/) [Martin Scorsese](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-scorsese/) > [For many years, my favorite director has been the Japanese giant Akira Kurosawa.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-rollins/for-many-years-my-favorite-director-has-been-the-japanese-giant-akira/) [Henry Rollins](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-rollins/) > [Akira Kurosawa, David Lean and Alfred Hitchcock were the main inspirations for 'Samurai Jack,' along with a lot of '70s cinema.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/genndy-tartakovsky/akira-kurosawa-david-lean-and-alfred-hitchcock-were-the-main/) [Genndy Tartakovsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/genndy-tartakovsky/) > [I'm not Akira Kurosawa. He used to write...He used to write a completely new spec script over a couple of nights. I'm not like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/duncan-jones/i-m-not-akira-kurosawa-he-used-to-write-he-used-to-write-a-completely/) [Duncan Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/duncan-jones/) > [Akira Kurosawa is the pictorial William Shakespeare of our time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-spielberg/akira-kurosawa-is-the-pictorial-william-shakespeare-of-our-time/) [Steven Spielberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-spielberg/) > [I admire Akira Kurosawa. I have a deep admiration for him and I would love to make films like that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/takashi-miike/i-admire-akira-kurosawa-i-have-a-deep-admiration-for-him-and-i-would/) [Takashi Miike](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/takashi-miike/) > [I'm a huge fan of Akira Kurosawa, a big Hitchcock fan.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jennifer-lynch/i-m-a-huge-fan-of-akira-kurosawa-a-big-hitchcock-fan/) [Jennifer Lynch](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jennifer-lynch/) > [I am an only child, so I relate to the intensity of that single-parent, mother-daughter relationship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gugu-mbatha-raw/i-am-an-only-child-so-i-relate-to-the-intensity-of-that-single-parent/) [Gugu Mbatha-Raw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gugu-mbatha-raw/) > [I only do children's films now! I think when you go to LA some people feel you've defected a little bit and that's not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ashley-jensen/i-only-do-children-s-films-now-i-think-when-you-go-to-la-some-people/) [Ashley Jensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ashley-jensen/) > [My children can't see many of the films that I've been in because I'm always either dying or taking my clothes off.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kate-winslet/my-children-can-t-see-many-of-the-films-that-i-ve-been-in-because-i-m/) [Kate Winslet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kate-winslet/) > [Not everyone wants to see children's films, comics, and supermen.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-hurt/not-everyone-wants-to-see-children-s-films-comics-and-supermen/) [John Hurt](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-hurt/) > [Children, I always think, are just putting on a performance of being naive and not understanding anything. I have worked with children in films,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wallace-shawn/children-i-always-think-are-just-putting-on-a-performance-of-being/) [Wallace Shawn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wallace-shawn/) > [The single difference between films for children and films for adults is that in films for children, there is always the option to start…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hayao-miyazaki/the-single-difference-between-films-for-children-and-films-for-adults/) [Hayao Miyazaki](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hayao-miyazaki/) > [If I give you two children films then come back and give you an adult film. I just love mixing it up and not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/martin-lawrence/if-i-give-you-two-children-films-then-come-back-and-give-you-an-adult/) [Martin Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/martin-lawrence/) ## More by Abbas Kiarostami > [I think violence can never be justified. At the same time, nobody’s culture or beliefs should be insulted, that’s not something I can accept…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbas-kiarostami/i-think-violence-can-never-be-justified-at-the-same-time-nobody-s/) [Abbas Kiarostami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbas-kiarostami/) > [I would say that no film is apolitical. There are politics in all films. Any film that is anchored in a society, any film…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbas-kiarostami/i-would-say-that-no-film-is-apolitical-there-are-politics-in-all/) [Abbas Kiarostami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbas-kiarostami/) > [In real life, when someone's partner calls them, they can tell from the first word their partner says what their mood is.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbas-kiarostami/in-real-life-when-someone-s-partner-calls-them-they-can-tell-from-the/) [Abbas Kiarostami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbas-kiarostami/) > [I don't have very complete scripts for my films. I have a general outline and a character in my mind, and I make no…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbas-kiarostami/i-don-t-have-very-complete-scripts-for-my-films-i-have-a-general/) [Abbas Kiarostami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbas-kiarostami/) > [This was pointed out to me by somebody who referred to the paintings of Rembrandt and his use of light: some elements are highlighted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbas-kiarostami/this-was-pointed-out-to-me-by-somebody-who-referred-to-the-paintings/) [Abbas Kiarostami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbas-kiarostami/) > [A work of art doesn't exist outside the perception of the audience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbas-kiarostami/a-work-of-art-doesn-t-exist-outside-the-perception-of-the-audience/) [Abbas Kiarostami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbas-kiarostami/) > [I would be too selfish if I said everyone should see my movies more than once. To say that would mean I'm just marketing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbas-kiarostami/i-would-be-too-selfish-if-i-said-everyone-should-see-my-movies-more/) [Abbas Kiarostami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbas-kiarostami/) > [Unfortunately, cinema critics are very few in America, 400-500 people, but there are more critics of Iran.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbas-kiarostami/unfortunately-cinema-critics-are-very-few-in-america-400-500-people/) [Abbas Kiarostami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbas-kiarostami/) > [Usually when I take my films to festivals, I feel incredibly anxious about them. I wonder how it will be received, how the audience…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbas-kiarostami/usually-when-i-take-my-films-to-festivals-i-feel-incredibly-anxious/) [Abbas Kiarostami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbas-kiarostami/) > [My car's my best friend. My office. My home. My location. I have a very intimate sense when I am in a car with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbas-kiarostami/my-car-s-my-best-friend-my-office-my-home-my-location-i-have-a-very/) [Abbas Kiarostami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbas-kiarostami/) > [It was a film that I knew, that I had seen, that I was familiar with, but I wasn't anxious about it at any…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbas-kiarostami/it-was-a-film-that-i-knew-that-i-had-seen-that-i-was-familiar-with/) [Abbas Kiarostami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbas-kiarostami/) > [I never intended to write poems, nor to be a photographer, nor to be a film-maker. I just took many, many pictures and I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbas-kiarostami/i-never-intended-to-write-poems-nor-to-be-a-photographer-nor-to-be-a/) [Abbas Kiarostami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbas-kiarostami/) > [ When the film \[Certified Copy\] was in the Cannes Festival, I realized that the fact of having it shot in a different culture, in… ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbas-kiarostami/when-the-film-certified-copy-was-in-the-cannes-festival-i-realized/) [Abbas Kiarostami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbas-kiarostami/) > [Those same people, when they leave the theater, when they look behind the curtains they are curious about their neighbors, they can guess if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbas-kiarostami/those-same-people-when-they-leave-the-theater-when-they-look-behind/) [Abbas Kiarostami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbas-kiarostami/) > [There is violence in real life but I would never impose violence in a film just to attract the audience.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/abbas-kiarostami/there-is-violence-in-real-life-but-i-would-never-impose-violence-in-a/) [Abbas Kiarostami](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbas-kiarostami/) [Explore all 157 Abbas Kiarostami quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/abbas-kiarostami/) ## More Children quotes > [I am certain that children always know more than they are able to tell, and that makes the big difference between them and adults,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacques-lusseyran/i-am-certain-that-children-always-know-more-than-they-are-able-to/) [Jacques Lusseyran](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacques-lusseyran/) > [Behind every successful child is an adult who believed in him.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-warren/behind-every-successful-child-is-an-adult-who-believed-in-him/) [Rick Warren](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-warren/) > [I believe in freedom to do what you want if you aren't hurting others, but pictures of obese protesters giving their children big gulps.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/philip-defranco/i-believe-in-freedom-to-do-what-you-want-if-you-aren-t-hurting-others/) [Philip DeFranco](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/philip-defranco/) > [If the audience likes your work, if they like you, they don't think whether you are married or have children or not. I made…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dimple-kapadia/if-the-audience-likes-your-work-if-they-like-you-they-don-t-think/) [Dimple Kapadia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dimple-kapadia/) > [It doesnt seem to me strange that children should like the macabre, the sensational, and the forbidden.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anthony-hecht/it-doesnt-seem-to-me-strange-that-children-should-like-the-macabre/) [Anthony Hecht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anthony-hecht/) > [Let children support their parents or be imprisoned.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/let-children-support-their-parents-or-be-imprisoned/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Gratitude isn't just a feeling, it's an action. Expressing gratitude by writing in a journal, taking a photo, or shooting a video creates a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/janice-kaplan/gratitude-isn-t-just-a-feeling-it-s-an-action-expressing-gratitude-by/) [Janice Kaplan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/janice-kaplan/) > [My embarrassing confession is that my father is a 'Camelot: The Musical' obsessive. So as a child, when we were going to visit relatives…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-chibnall/my-embarrassing-confession-is-that-my-father-is-a-camelot-the-musical/) [Chris Chibnall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-chibnall/) > [I have many who keep me going, I am very fortunate in this sense. There is nothing like a child who knows more about…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/floyd-cooper/i-have-many-who-keep-me-going-i-am-very-fortunate-in-this-sense-there/) [Floyd Cooper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/floyd-cooper/) > [My school was one of the most beautiful places a child can grow up in. You are surrounded by nature - cats, dogs, birds…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amala-akkineni/my-school-was-one-of-the-most-beautiful-places-a-child-can-grow-up-in/) [Amala Akkineni](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amala-akkineni/) > [A lesser complaint: hair extensions. There are moments on 'All My Children' when half the women actors, young and old, seem to be afflicted…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/camille-paglia/a-lesser-complaint-hair-extensions-there-are-moments-on-all-my/) [Camille Paglia](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/camille-paglia/) > [As a child, I had a lot of older gay men taking care of me. There's a trust there. I feel like little girls…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/as-a-child-i-had-a-lot-of-older-gay-men-taking-care-of-me-there-s-a/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [If my child had prejudice in his head, I'd be ashamed. I would see it as my failure as a parent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/salman-rushdie/if-my-child-had-prejudice-in-his-head-i-d-be-ashamed-i-would-see-it/) [Salman Rushdie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/salman-rushdie/) > [“Children's lives are always beginning and adults' lives are always ending. Or is it the opposite? Your childhood is always ending and your adult…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alison-espach/children-s-lives-are-always-beginning-and-adults-lives-are-always/) [Alison Espach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alison-espach/) > [As a child I was very involved with sports and I knew at age 9 that I wanted to be an Olympic champion.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marion-jones/as-a-child-i-was-very-involved-with-sports-and-i-knew-at-age-9-that-i/) [Marion Jones](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marion-jones/) [Browse all 62,396 Children quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "When I met Akira Kurosawa in Japan, one question he asked me was, \"How did you actually make the children act the way they do? 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