Being with Al Gore on the red carpet in Cannes was exciting - he's like a rock star unto himself!
Lawrence BenderI was with - he wasn't the president then, but - Barack Obama, when he was running, in Washington, during Black Congressional Caucus Weekend, and did a panel about global warming with him. It was almost as if I switched careers for a while, and became a political activist.
Lawrence BenderTo be sure, governments will remain critical to any comprehensive effort to save our planet.
Lawrence BenderIf you go back and look at President Reagan's speeches, they bring you to tears almost.
Lawrence BenderI had one of those light bulb 'a ha' moments while screening 'Good Will Hunting' in Camp David in 1998 - Madeleine Albright and the Clintons were there, and I just became really inspired by all of these amazing people. I left the screening asking myself what I could do.
Lawrence BenderIn 1998, I was screening 'Good Will Hunting' at Camp David. And I was saying, 'Nice to meet you, Mr. President. Nice to meet you, Mrs. Clinton.' Madeleine Albright, Sandy Berger, Senator Daschle. It was an extraordinary day.
Lawrence BenderThe average ordinary citizen can do a lot of different things when it comes to the climate crisis.
Lawrence BenderFilm is a very collaborative medium. If you're smart enough, you learn how to maintain your vision while drawing resourcefully from all the people around you.
Lawrence BenderWhat I would say to filmmakers, if I may be so bold or so arrogant, is to draw inspiration from other filmmakers, but go to the place in your own gut where everything is nothing. That's a very Zen thing to say, but that place of nothing is where real creativity comes out of.
Lawrence BenderBeing scared is really a good thing. It's being scared of being scared that's bad. Being scared of walking through your fear, going to a place of true creativity - that's what an artist is, that's what he does. If you do that, then being inspired by your contemporaries or people from the past is really great.
Lawrence Bender