One of the small miracles about the film and television production business, which is the business I’m in, is how well it travels. From its very beginnings film became an international language, shared, it seemed, by all.

But business is no stranger to paradox.

As my industry has grown in wealth and power, so it has shrunk in its global appeal.

Hollywood has many fewer international stars than it had in 1950, or in 1940, or for that matter in 1920.