Sometimes, how you ingest this idea of masculinity as projected onto you by the world could be the difference of life and death.

Barry Jenkins

Categorized in : You World Death Life

'Moonlight' isn't an issue film. It's not about addiction, it's not about sexuality, it's not about identity. It's about all these different layers, because they are all a part of the character.

addiction film identity character

'Moonlight' is a story that hasn't been told. Whether placed as queer black cinema or urban male cinema, the lack of coming-of-age films featuring people like Chiron and set in places like inner-city Miami is pronounced and unfortunate.

story cinema black people

As a writer, a blank page will humble the hell out of you. It always does, and it always will.

will you hell humble

If you try to create something that everybody can relate to, you're gonna make something that nobody can relate to.

nobody something try you

As a filmmaker whose first film was made with the DIY tools of digital cinema, I love how the democratization of the filmmaking process and platforms like YouTube enables people to tell stories that in previous generations simply could not be told.

digital cinema love people

Growing up, I wasn't the most vocal kid in the world. I feel like I learned through observation, and usually, when you're watching things, you're not speaking. That sort of metastasized in a way that I began to participate less and less in the world.

feel you way world

It's interesting because I think class is a heavy, heavy part of 'Moonlight,' and I think, in a certain way, through the sum of all these parts, it's become a commentary on the black experience in America.

think experience black way

As a filmmaker, I really want to utilize the tools to carry the voice - my voice, and the voice of the characters.

carry voice tools want

There's nothing in Hollywood that's inherently detrimental to good art. I think that's a fallacy that we've created because we frame the work that way too overtly. 'This is Hollywood.' 'This isn't Hollywood.' It's like, 'No, this is actually all Hollywood.' People are just framing them differently.

good work people art

In hip-hop, sometimes that pace is so fast that you miss things. I don't mean literally miss lyrics; I just think there's an emotion in what these cats are saying that gets by you. When you slow things down, there's this emotion, this yearning.

cats think you sometimes

Cinema is a little over 100 years old, and a lot of what we do is built around film emulsion. Those things were calibrated for white skin. We've always placed powder on skin to dull the light. But my memory of growing up in Miami is this moist, beautiful black skin.

memory black light beautiful

I think everybody can identify, you know, with this sort of struggle to decide for yourself who you are, you know, and what your place in life is.

yourself you struggle life

I got into film school. I went and didn't know anything about it. Over the course of two years, I kind of got kind of good at it. You know, I had a brief moment where I wasn't sure if I could do it. I didn't know you needed light to expose film.

good moment you light

Making films. It gave me a voice. Legitimately saved me.

making me saved voice

A month alone would make me so happy. Not good for my dating prospects.

alone good me happy

Filmmaking is a very privileged art form. It costs a lot of money to make these things.

things filmmaking money art

I just came back from my hometown, making a movie about a kid who grew up just like me, and it was financed by white people in New York. Personally, I can't be angry. In my personal experience, the support was there.

me angry experience people

At school, film-making had been the most beautiful thing that ever happened to me. Then I get to L.A., and it's this whole other thing. I checked out.

most-beautiful me beautiful school

To me, no matter who you're casting for what role, if something's authentic, usually you can mine something good there.

good me you matter

It used to be that watching a film was a very special occasion, the same way flying was. Before, if you took a flight from New York to L.A., most of the windows would be open. Now, we get on planes and we just close them because we're so used to what it feels like. I think the same thing has happened with cinema.

think you cinema way