Martin Scorsese's Life Or Death Lessons.

THE ONLY INTERVIEWS I read now are from seniors - regardless of status: artists, writers, scientists, politicians, whatever. The reasons are obvious. These people, secured a long time ago, now only have their truth to testify and the essence of a whole life and a long journey, without any more need for calculations, orders and second thoughts.

A man and a creator like Martin Scorsese never minced his words (well, as you know, his speech has always been as "fiery" as his thinking) but now, at the age of 81, he speaks completely without fear and without passion, as he did in a long and exemplary interview with the always excellent Zack Baron for GQ magazine.

It's worth reading in its entirety, but I've collected here some precious heartbreaks about aging, mortality, and coming to terms with the fatal that moved me the most and aren't about cinema (or are they?)

The moment you understand that you are going to die, everything changes... The time that passes is the time that passes, it is not wasted time. You exist for the moment. You just exist.

“A few weeks ago I saw an old friend after many years - we've known each other since 1970. When we said goodbye, she hugged each other and we stayed like that for ten minutes I think, not knowing if we'd ever see each other again. We didn't say another word. But that's good too. And the words are limited from a point on."

“All those people you met and loved, who hurt and suffered and then… life ends. You get to the point where you say, "What's the point?" It doesn't matter what it means. You have to experience it. And if you choose not to live it, that too is your decision. But you exist and you live with this existence."

“All the things I have collected I have to think about where they will go. I have to give it all up. I was a big collector, voracious for anything related to movies and books. But now everything has to go."

“The moment you understand that you are going to die, everything changes... The time that passes is the time that passes, it is not wasted time. You exist for the moment. You just exist. Some call it rest. It's not actually resting, it's being. At the same time, you are seized with a maniacal desire to learn and read everything. Everything... And all the battles you have fought with yourself from the very beginning are now falling into place. That doesn't mean they don't still hurt. But what to do? You can not do anything".