Flavorwire

With awards news and retrospective material still surfacing after this year’s Cannes Film Festival — which hosted a closing night gala on Sunday — we’ve had the chance to look back at a few of our favorite filmmakers throughout their careers.

Miramax recently posted a 1994 Charlie Rose interview with director Quentin Tarantino, fresh off his Palme d’Or win for Pulp Fiction, shortly before the film’s US theatrical release. At this point in his career, Tarantino had staked his claim with the impressive Reservoir Dogs and True Romance, but the way he stumbles over his words and exuberantly recounts the details of his younger years and passions is charming and electrifying to watch. As Miramax points out, it’s a snapshot of a “budding auteur” on the brink of greatness, whose life and artistry has evolved nearly 20 years later.

The video got us fired up and anxious to explore other early interviews with our favorite filmmakers to see what hopes and wisdom they had to impart. Visit our picks below, and let us know who fascinates you most.

George Lucas

This brief 1976/1977 interview footage featuring Star Wars director George Lucas shows a thoughtful and humble filmmaker, keenly focused on creating a “straightforward, wholesome, fun adventure.” He chats about his dog Indiana, the religious and robotic framework behind his intergalactic opus, and which guy is better for Princess Leia.