“People have a right to have their lives witnessed; if we coexist with the systems that abuse people, then we have a duty to understand.”

The irony is palpable – technical access has never been greater, cultural access never weaker.

We are increasingly offered a diet [by Hollywood] in which sensation, not story, is king.

I think that stories, and the telling of stories, are the foundations of human communication and understanding.

Making a big commercial movie is hard when you think about how many of them flop.

Human beings have always told their histories and truths through parable and fable. We are inveterate storytellers.

If children all over the country are watching films, asking questions and telling their stories, then the world will eventually be a better place.

Make films whenever and however you can – don’t take no for an answer.