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I wanted to make something positive ... First of all I wanted to do a film for all generations ... because it is about a life lived, there's so much of a debate at the moment about what Britain is and what Britain is not and how it's excluding and how it's isolating itself. I wanted to celebrate what I feel Britain is, which is something much more lively and vibrant and cheery - the comedy heritage, the literary heritage, the variety, the arts.