I didn't go to film school. I got my education on the set as a niche publicist in the film industry.

Because my mom always told me that I could. From a very early age, I felt comfortable leading.

Figure out what you need to do to be the heroine of your own story.

More people have seen 13th on Netflix than have seen all my films put together between the Sundance winners and Selma, and the whole international distribution of film.

For film, you know, the Tarantinos and Nolans of the world who are very focused on a certain kind of film aesthetic and a certain kind of presentation, to be honest, that comes from a place of privilege. It comes from a place of always having access to such, but when you ain't never - you can't see it because you can't even get to it.

We're living based on laws and ideas that we, as a society, embraced back in the days of slavery.

We've had these bursts of cool years here or there but that's not change. That's a trend. You only hope that this could be the beginning of true change.