The Filmmakers

'I need to come home': Why Montreal means so much more to Xavier Dolan than Hollywood

Would he like to direct 'Star Wars'? Sure, but on the latest episode of The Filmmakers, Dolan makes it clear that that's not as important as friends and family.

Would he like to direct 'Star Wars'? Sure, but that's not as important as friends and family

For Xavier Dolan, working in Hollywood doesn't define success. Being able to come home does

7 years ago
Duration 0:50
Would he like to direct 'Star Wars'? Sure, but that's not as important as friends and family

"I would love to direct a Star Wars," Xavier Dolan admits on the latest episode of The Filmmakers, airing this weekend. "I would love this. I love that kind of storytelling."

"Do I need it? No."

Dolan has achieved an extraordinary level success before his 30th birthday, writing and directing — and often acting — in six feature films over an eight-year span (not to mention the music video for Adele's "Hello"). And while that has surely opened the door for a move south, the home he's built in Montreal is more important to him than nabbing a Hollywood franchise.

"I'm happy here," he says in the above clip. "I bought a house here. I have my friends, my family...I'm gonna buy a dog. For me, it's not a sign of success to be working in Hollywood. The success is freedom. What I need to do to feel like I'm moving forward in my life and living my life is simply to write stories and make movies with people that I love. It can be anywhere in the world, but I need to come back home."

Watch more of Xavier Dolan on The Filmmakers this Saturday at 8:30 p.m. (9 NT) on CBC Television, or stream it at cbc.ca/watch. After the episode, stick around to see this week's feature presentation, Dolan's directorial debut J'ai Tué Ma Mère (I Killed My Mother).​