When we look at what's going on in the world and we see the immense level of conflict that seems to always be happening - you can always trace it back to competing narratives.

There are three major social issues that this country is struggling with: education, poverty, and drugs. Two of them we talk about, and one of them we don't.

I think there are only two times that I've ever ended up paying somebody their quote. Like what they actually were worth in the marketplace.

I'm probably more character-driven than plot-driven. It's rare for me to attach myself to an idea for a story.

I stopped reading reviews about my own movies. I read stuff about other people's movies.

If you're not smart enough to know what Fidel meant during the Cuban revolution, that - when they were on the Granma - Fidel was already a rock star in Cuba, and how important that was to the indigenous population, then you're not paying attention.

I guess I didn't feel confident enough to be searching in a big public way. I was very content at the time to toil in obscurity on things that I thought might point me in certain directions or teach me certain things - not knowing what that would be.