It comes down to this: black people were stripped of our identities when we were brought here, and it's been a quest since then to define who we are.

I collect names for characters. Names are valuable; they can be your first source of insight into a character.

Making films has got to be one of the hardest endeavors known to humankind.

Most human beings will not stand in front of a stage and tell you about the bad things they did.

I like people to look like they're floating.

When you love something it's not a job anymore.

One of the great things about African-Americans is that we've always had this attitude: We make do with what we got. It comes from our ancestors being slaves.