A lot of people get out of film school full of ideas, but when faced with the reality of making a living, they decide to make commercials or a formulaic Hollywood movie or two. Still, they think, "Once I make some money, I'm gonna take my millions and make the films I really want to make."

In reality, this happens about as often as Amy Winehouse is sober. So give it up for Tarsem Singh, one of the few people who's actually gone and done it. A director who enjoys making music videos (R.E.M.'s "Losing My Religion") and commercials (Nike, Coke, Levis), and has done one Hollywood serial killer flick ("The Cell," with J-Lo), Tarsem self-financed "The Fall" with millions of his own money.

In an interview with The Japan Times, the talkative director described how a failed romance set him off on his quest.