I don't see any negativity with what Brad Pitt is doing with his Make It Right Foundation, or what Sean Penn is trying to do in Haiti.

I don't really analyze my stuff when I write. I write about stuff that I'm interested in, that I'm feeling at that particular time. When I stand back and look at the complete work, I might see themes that run through the whole film, but I'm not really conscious of it when I'm doing it.

I'll be vilified if I shoot a film in Toronto for New York. And rightfully so!

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

I live in New York City, the stories of my films take place in New York; I'm a New York filmmaker.

Violence is a part of America. I don't want to single out rap music. Let's be honest. America's the most violent country in the history of the world, that's just the way it is. We're all affected by it.