Milos Forman Quotes & Sayings

“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.”

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

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

“Memories are doing funny things to us.”

“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.”

“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.”

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

“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.”