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

You gotta make your own way. You gotta find a way. You gotta get it done. It's hard. It's tough. That's what I tell my students every day in class. I've been very fortunate. Some people might call me a hardhead, but I'm not going to let other people dictate to me who I should be or the stories I should tell. That doesn't register with me.

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 don't get tripped up in technology. I use technology as a tool. 'Oldboy' we shot Two Pro 35mm. For 'Da Blood of Jesus,' we shot digitally. We shot the new Sony F55. It's a 4K camera.

If you can't take a hit, you're not going to last long, that's for sure.

For me, I believe in God, God is real.

I tend to favour films that have multiple plot and story lines, multiple characters and ensemble pieces.