OK, so my parents were married in 1955 and my mom knew my dad was gay and my dad knew he was gay and so I was, like, 'Why in the heck did you get married?' Like, what was going on? What was that time? It's like this crazy paradox that my whole life is based on, or my family's based on. So I spent a lot of time trying to understand '55.

I'm into people's emotional lives and relationships and the complications of living. That's my turf.

As someone who grew up in a house where there wasn't a lot of talking, I'm used to just looking at the world. And in general I often feel like I just don't understand what's happening. That everybody else does, but I don't quite get it.

Humans are vulnerable, messy little animals and that's normal. And all I want to do is make a space for that in my films.

I am intrigued by inanimate objects. They're a piece of history, someone's statement and ideas of life.

L.A. is so isolated and unhip in a way; it gives you room to figure out who you are and explore more personal stuff.

Grief and memory go together. After someone dies, that's what you're left with. And the memories are so slippery yet so rich.