'25th Hour,' like a lot of my films, takes place in New York City. I've been very fortunate to make films in the city that I live. I mean, it's great going home at night instead of being on location.

I'm not the go-to guy. Everybody is trying to tell their story and have different ways of telling it.

I really don't deal with hypotheticals.

Right now a lot of people are still choosing to go to Toronto instead of shooting in New York City, something I haven't done and something I hope I'll never have to do.

I think black people have to be in control of their own image because film is a powerful medium. We can't just sit back and let other people define our existence.

I always give the example, if you turn on the radio today, black radio, Lenny Kravitz is not black. Bob Marley wasn't black: in the beginning, only white college stations played Bob Marley.

I'm trying to keep up with what's happening in this turbulent world.