SimplyAbuDhabi XLII

Have you always been such an international filmmaker? TOM CRUISE: When I was a child, I wanted to go to those places, I wanted to meet those people. And I knew that it’s not just a matter of visiting but to be able to create and work in those places. So I used to push the studios and say, ‘I want to go’ and I would go their cinemas and watch their movies. And I brought my movies and I’d watch my movies with them to understand the universality of humanity, the things that bring us together. The cinema experience is about all of us together, from all walks of life, being together in the theatre and having a common experience. And that is what cinema does and it bridges walls, it breaks them down, it allows people to be able to share that kind of commonality experience. I used to go and meet with the studios and say, ‘We need theatres, we need theatres in this country, we need theatres in that country.’ And I would always study the history and geography and push to go and make those movies there. It was really from a point of my own desire, and a passion for humanity. I love people and when you see my films, they’re not just about me, they’re ensembles. And I would go and meet with people and say, ‘You’ve got to make more movies in your country, and release them in your own country’. Then I would go and produce movies, and when I’m producing a film, I’m working with the local production companies to go, ‘This is how we make movies’ and ‘Here’s how we do it and my door is always open for you.’ And I’ve been fortunate, so many people have shared their knowledge with me. 108 | Simply Abu Dhabi