With such a packed promotional schedule, I worried that all possible questions had already been asked.

What could we possibly talk about?

Ive been on it, too, because I was doing it in the United States.

Its quite nice, getting to show it.

It was interesting sitting in on a Q&A last night.

Do you get asked the same questions over and over?

For example, about the recent gap in your filmmaking career.

Well, theyre logical questions to ask.

This story has to be told.

It would be naive to assume that there werent films in that break that you were developing.

Or that you werent working on other projects in that period.

So it didnt come out until a year later in continental Europe.

Like, half the film you get to redirect, and you get to do it in two weeks.

So its a thrilling experience for a director.

That came out in 2000, and they had a promotional tour on that.

And there was work on a translation in Spain.

So when I started getting back to it, I had two projects to start.

And I wanted to to a film there, to show that music.

By the time I turned in the script…

I turned in the script on not a fortuitous date.

September 12th, 2001.

And I sent in a second draft in January 2002.

The option period ended at the end of January.

Film4 was about to change regime.

Paul Webster was going to leave.

So that project, for various reasons, died.

But I went and got backing from BBC Films to do the Jamaica story.

Then I decided to change the story, and put in this whole thing with funny angels and demons.

I dont think that BBC Films is that keen on funny angels and demons.

I got that impression.

What was so different aboutDamsels In Distressthat saw it get made?

And I had a dream cast on that.

And some of them I hadnt even met, they just wanted to do it.

So I started writing that while this other stuff was going on.

And it went really very quickly for me.

And in March or so they said they wanted to go ahead with it.

I think that I can go back and do this film Metropolitan-style.

And you madeDamsels In Distressfor around $3 million, is that right?

So the producers cant be very honest about the real budget.

But, as the director and producer, how did you keep costs down?

You dont do things the industry way.

Theres one in the afternoon, too.

So I felt that was quite luxurious.

Having good coffee on set was quite a treat.

Not only coach, but the cheapest tickets imaginable.

Id stop off in Timbuktu if it would save ten cents.

All of your films to date have featured dance sequences, or have celebrated dancing in some form.

I do love it.

Thats quite an ambitious sequence, and quite different from the use of dance in your other films.

Did you have to put a lot of preparation into that?

It was amazing it came out so well, because I cant say there was much preparation at all.

In that dance sequence, the cinematographer had the idea for those crane shots.

And the choreographer had rehearsed the actors, and then we saw the locations.

I saw the bench, and said can we do something with the bench?

And it was just adapting it with Greta, Adam and the choreographer.

He was brilliant, Justin Cerne.

The film does have a very striking look.

Those backlit shots, with the sunlight cutting through the frame, are beautiful.

And I dont think many cinematographers would do that.

Some people really criticise that.

I think its fantastic.

I mean, I saw a famous RED film last night on TV.

It was one of the first big-budget films made on a RED.

I dont know what they did wrong, but it looks so god-awful.

And I think the RED wasnt very good when it started.

I remember my first experience with a crew member that didnt work.

It was on Metropolitan.

And it was within the first two days they started the shoot.

It was just volunteers.

This art director rushed out to shoot the Park Avenue trees.

And thats our big location!

[sings] Its going to be a Coney Island Christmas!

And we had to unplug those lights, which is half our art budget.

Shed have an old, scruffed-up paperback copy that would have been her sisters.

And we didnt really know what the room would look like, because we didnt have the location yet.

And that was terrific.

I really hate firing people, I really hate it.

But then other people, like production assistants, stepped up and helped me do stuff.

And the film looks really good.

And so… Im not sure what that story was about.

But thats someone not working out.

Mr Stillman, thank you very much for your time!

Damsels in Distressis released on the 27th April.