--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: I think being a foreigner and talking…" description: "\"I think being a foreigner and talking about Hollywood allowed me to use some cliches and some references that an American would maybe not use.\" — Miche..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc3/michel-hazanavicius-7804_american_i-think-being-a-foreigner-and-talking-ab_1033598.png" --- # I think being a foreigner and talking about Hollywood… ![“I think being a foreigner and talking about Hollywood allowed me to use some cliches and some references that an American would maybe not use.” quote by Michel Hazanavicius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc3/michel-hazanavicius-7804_american_i-think-being-a-foreigner-and-talking-ab_1033598.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc3/michel-hazanavicius-7804_american_i-think-being-a-foreigner-and-talking-ab_1033598.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc3/michel-hazanavicius-7804_american_i-think-being-a-foreigner-and-talking-ab_1033598.png) > “I think being a foreigner and talking about Hollywood allowed me to use some cliches and some references that an American would maybe not use.” [Michel Hazanavicius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-hazanavicius/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A foreign perspective brings clichés and references unfamiliar to native audiences. **In simple terms:** Outsider uses unfamiliar references. Key Takeaway Leverage unique viewpoint. Themes culture film communication Mood thoughtful analytical Type strategic creative When to use this quote - screenwriting - marketing - audience engagement Key Concepts clichés cross‑cultural dialogue Questions to Reflect On - How can outsiders balance authenticity and relatability? - When do clichés enhance or hinder storytelling? A Different Perspective May alienate local viewers. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [American](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american/) [American Maybe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american-maybe-2375647/) [Cliche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cliche/) [Foreigner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foreigner/) [Foreigner Talking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foreigner-talking-2375646/) [Foreigners](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/foreigners/) [Hollywood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/hollywood/) [I think](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/i-think/) [Maybe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/maybe/) [Talking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/talking/) [Think Foreigner](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/think-foreigner-1322113/) [Thinking](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/thinking/) [Use](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use/) [Use Cliches](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/use-cliches-2375645/) ## Related quotes > [But I don't think of myself as a foreigner or a Frenchman! I just think of myself as a director. Whether I'm French or…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-hazanavicius/but-i-don-t-think-of-myself-as-a-foreigner-or-a-frenchman-i-just-2/) [Michel Hazanavicius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-hazanavicius/) > [You think you're the foreigner here, and I'm the American, and I just look the other way while the President or somebody sends down…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-kingsolver/you-think-you-re-the-foreigner-here-and-i-m-the-american-and-i-just/) [Barbara Kingsolver](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-kingsolver/) > [But I don't think of myself as a foreigner or a Frenchman! I just think of myself as a director.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-hazanavicius/but-i-don-t-think-of-myself-as-a-foreigner-or-a-frenchman-i-just/) [Michel Hazanavicius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-hazanavicius/) > [I'm really interested in the United States, what it means to be American - maybe because my father's an immigrant and my grandparents were…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/micah-perks/i-m-really-interested-in-the-united-states-what-it-means-to-be/) [Micah Perks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/micah-perks/) > [It's hard not to use cliches when talking about parenthood.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tom-fletcher/it-s-hard-not-to-use-cliches-when-talking-about-parenthood/) [Tom Fletcher](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tom-fletcher/) > [I think being an artist and taking on those challenges is just how it is for me. Because I was always a foreigner, I…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tavares-strachan/i-think-being-an-artist-and-taking-on-those-challenges-is-just-how-it/) [Tavares Strachan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tavares-strachan/) > [In America, I'm a foreigner because of my Korean heritage. In Asia, because I was born in America, I'm a foreigner. I'm always a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-cho/in-america-i-m-a-foreigner-because-of-my-korean-heritage-in-asia/) [Margaret Cho](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-cho/) > [A person who speaks good English in New York sounds like a foreigner.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jackie-mason/a-person-who-speaks-good-english-in-new-york-sounds-like-a-foreigner/) [Jackie Mason](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jackie-mason/) > [I was going to be living there and I didn't want to sound like a foreigner all my life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-mahoney/i-was-going-to-be-living-there-and-i-didn-t-want-to-sound-like-a/) [John Mahoney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-mahoney/) > [The moment there's a foreigner in a film it gives a novelty to the script. We make regional films and we need to hype…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arin-paul/the-moment-there-s-a-foreigner-in-a-film-it-gives-a-novelty-to-the/) [Arin Paul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arin-paul/) > [I am an Indian. In fact, I feel like a foreigner when I go abroad.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sonia-gandhi/i-am-an-indian-in-fact-i-feel-like-a-foreigner-when-i-go-abroad/) [Sonia Gandhi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sonia-gandhi/) > [India is a place where one of the great pleasures for a foreigner is that you're constantly surprised. Everywhere you look is something that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wes-anderson/india-is-a-place-where-one-of-the-great-pleasures-for-a-foreigner-is/) [Wes Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wes-anderson/) > [A foreigner and an hired servant shall not eat thereof.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/bible/a-foreigner-and-an-hired-servant-shall-not-eat-thereof/) [Bible](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/bible/) > [I loved this idea of always being a foreigner. There's this thing where people bring cultures, bring the music together. I love it when…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hans-zimmer/i-loved-this-idea-of-always-being-a-foreigner-there-s-this-thing/) [Hans Zimmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hans-zimmer/) > [A foreigner is an individual who is considered either comic or sinister. When the victim of a disaster - preferably natural but sometimes political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-ralston-saul/a-foreigner-is-an-individual-who-is-considered-either-comic-or/) [John Ralston Saul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-ralston-saul/) ## More by Michel Hazanavicius > [I am unusual for a Frenchman - I have absolutely nothing against the United States.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-hazanavicius/i-am-unusual-for-a-frenchman-i-have-absolutely-nothing-against-the/) [Michel Hazanavicius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-hazanavicius/) > [Usually, when you do a period movie, you just recreate what you are shooting. You don't recreate the way you shoot it. I think…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-hazanavicius/usually-when-you-do-a-period-movie-you-just-recreate-what-you-are/) [Michel Hazanavicius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-hazanavicius/) > [In France, it's really different the way you live. It's a non-religious country. The public space is not religious; religion is a private thing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-hazanavicius/in-france-it-s-really-different-the-way-you-live-it-s-a-non-religious/) [Michel Hazanavicius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-hazanavicius/) > [I make almost all the decisions on set and have to deal with all the financial aspects.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-hazanavicius/i-make-almost-all-the-decisions-on-set-and-have-to-deal-with-all-the/) [Michel Hazanavicius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-hazanavicius/) > [Silence is a universal language. It's like music or painting.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-hazanavicius/silence-is-a-universal-language-it-s-like-music-or-painting/) [Michel Hazanavicius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-hazanavicius/) > [The fact that I made a special movie with an old-fashioned style - even if it's a mix between with modern and old-fashioned things…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-hazanavicius/the-fact-that-i-made-a-special-movie-with-an-old-fashioned-style-even/) [Michel Hazanavicius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-hazanavicius/) > [I strongly believe cinema is popular culture. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. That's life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-hazanavicius/i-strongly-believe-cinema-is-popular-culture-sometimes-it-works/) [Michel Hazanavicius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-hazanavicius/) > [Even if I make fun of him, I try to portray him as a human being. Sometimes because he's the great Jean-Luc Godard, we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-hazanavicius/even-if-i-make-fun-of-him-i-try-to-portray-him-as-a-human-being/) [Michel Hazanavicius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-hazanavicius/) > [It's not my job. The Weinstein company, it's their job to convince people. My job was to make the movie. That's what I did.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-hazanavicius/it-s-not-my-job-the-weinstein-company-it-s-their-job-to-convince/) [Michel Hazanavicius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-hazanavicius/) > [I always try to make popular films. Even in black-and-white and silent.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-hazanavicius/i-always-try-to-make-popular-films-even-in-black-and-white-and-silent/) [Michel Hazanavicius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-hazanavicius/) > [An idea is something you work on to make it work and a desire is much deeper in a way.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-hazanavicius/an-idea-is-something-you-work-on-to-make-it-work-and-a-desire-is-much/) [Michel Hazanavicius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-hazanavicius/) > [The Germans were much more graphical. The expressionism is much more than cinema. It was a movement with artists, painters, music and architecture, so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-hazanavicius/the-germans-were-much-more-graphical-the-expressionism-is-much-more/) [Michel Hazanavicius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-hazanavicius/) > [I think there's something in common with the OSS 117 movies. The big difference is there's no irony in this one. It's not parody.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-hazanavicius/i-think-there-s-something-in-common-with-the-oss-117-movies-the-big/) [Michel Hazanavicius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-hazanavicius/) > [With silent films, you're better off avoiding irony, because the spectator is your accomplice. It's this pact that leads to emotion being created.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-hazanavicius/with-silent-films-you-re-better-off-avoiding-irony-because-the/) [Michel Hazanavicius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-hazanavicius/) > [I only have one obsession - not to be boring.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-hazanavicius/i-only-have-one-obsession-not-to-be-boring/) [Michel Hazanavicius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-hazanavicius/) [Explore all 87 Michel Hazanavicius quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-hazanavicius/) ## More American quotes > [I wasn't attracted to American cinema, but I fell in love with Los Angeles the minute I arrived.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/agnes-varda/i-wasn-t-attracted-to-american-cinema-but-i-fell-in-love-with-los/) [Agnes Varda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/agnes-varda/) > [William Maxwell's my favorite North American writer, I think. And an Irish writer who used to write for 'The New Yorker' called Maeve Brennan,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alice-munro/william-maxwell-s-my-favorite-north-american-writer-i-think-and-an/) [Alice Munro](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alice-munro/) > [I have fallen in love with American names, the sharp names that never get fat.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stephen-vincent-benet/i-have-fallen-in-love-with-american-names-the-sharp-names-that-never/) [Stephen Vincent Benet](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stephen-vincent-benet/) > [I really like a lot of American country stuff, so my music has that influence, but I don't like to be set within a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jade-bird/i-really-like-a-lot-of-american-country-stuff-so-my-music-has-that/) [Jade Bird](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jade-bird/) > [I certainly don't think that the heirs of the American Revolution were a particularly noble class.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/h-w-brands/i-certainly-don-t-think-that-the-heirs-of-the-american-revolution/) [H. W. Brands](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/h-w-brands/) > [Congress passed the American Rescue Plan Act in a tremendous investment to support millions of workers without a paycheck and behind on bills.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jake-auchincloss/congress-passed-the-american-rescue-plan-act-in-a-tremendous/) [Jake Auchincloss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jake-auchincloss/) > [Small businesses are the backbone of the American economy and employ almost half of the working population. Yet because of their size, they rarely…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dan-lipinski/small-businesses-are-the-backbone-of-the-american-economy-and-employ/) [Dan Lipinski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dan-lipinski/) > [Although I write in English, and despite the fact that I'm from America, I consider myself an Armenian writer. The words I use are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-saroyan/although-i-write-in-english-and-despite-the-fact-that-i-m-from/) [William Saroyan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-saroyan/) > [When we first sold the Wallace and Gromit shorts to America, people suggested we get rid of the strange British accents and put clear…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nick-park/when-we-first-sold-the-wallace-and-gromit-shorts-to-america-people/) [Nick Park](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nick-park/) > [Firefighters and rescue workers are American superheroes.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/kerry-kennedy/firefighters-and-rescue-workers-are-american-superheroes/) [Kerry Kennedy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/kerry-kennedy/) > [France has not only built a bureaucratic barrier against American culture, it has constructed a notorious intellectual case against it as well. The French…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tyler-cowen/france-has-not-only-built-a-bureaucratic-barrier-against-american/) [Tyler Cowen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tyler-cowen/) > [New York and San Francisco are distinctly different. San Francisco is driving the American media, not New York. You have young, microwaved millionaires and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-whitlock/new-york-and-san-francisco-are-distinctly-different-san-francisco-is/) [Jason Whitlock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-whitlock/) > [Well look, CIA is an agency that has to collect intelligence, do operations. We have to take risks and it's important that we take…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leon-panetta/well-look-cia-is-an-agency-that-has-to-collect-intelligence-do/) [Leon Panetta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leon-panetta/) > [Food as a hobby used to be an elite pastime, and it has become something that is totally ordinary for people of every background.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dana-goodyear/food-as-a-hobby-used-to-be-an-elite-pastime-and-it-has-become/) [Dana Goodyear](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dana-goodyear/) > [It's important for American soldiers to be culturally sensitive when deployed in foreign countries. But it's just as important for the U.S. never to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gary-bauer/it-s-important-for-american-soldiers-to-be-culturally-sensitive-when/) [Gary Bauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gary-bauer/) [Browse all 7,717 American quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/american/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "I think being a foreigner and talking about Hollywood allowed me to use some cliches and some references that an American would maybe not use.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Michel Hazanavicius" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-hazanavicius/i-think-being-a-foreigner-and-talking-about-hollywood-allowed-me-to/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "American" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-hazanavicius/i-think-being-a-foreigner-and-talking-about-hollywood-allowed-me-to/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc3/michel-hazanavicius-7804_american_i-think-being-a-foreigner-and-talking-ab_1033598.png", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc3/michel-hazanavicius-7804_american_i-think-being-a-foreigner-and-talking-ab_1033598.png", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/fc3/michel-hazanavicius-7804_american_i-think-being-a-foreigner-and-talking-ab_1033598.png", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“I think being a foreigner and talking about Hollywood allowed me to use some cliches and some references…” — Michel Hazanavicius", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Michel Hazanavicius", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michel-hazanavicius/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "I think being a foreigner and...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-hazanavicius/i-think-being-a-foreigner-and-talking-about-hollywood-allowed-me-to/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michel-hazanavicius/i-think-being-a-foreigner-and-talking-about-hollywood-allowed-me-to/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```