There are sayings and mantras that sometimes occur in filmmaking discussions, and one of them is that sometimes filmmaking is an olive branch or a reason or an excuse to be able to reach out and create an encounter with someone. Debra Granik More Quotes by Debra Granik More Quotes From Debra Granik Festivals are where I see other peoples' films, where we talk, where I get to learn what was working about the film, I get to have a discussion with viewers... and people who enjoy reading films - I enjoy reading other peoples' films, and what discussions can come of that. Debra Granik see enjoy reading people Time's up on cheesy, lesser, boring roles for females in the stories that we try to tell. Debra Granik try tell boring time I like to make films about how people survive living in the United States. Debra Granik survive like living people In documentary, mostly, people are going to say untoward things; people are going to have gnarly beliefs. People aren't perfect. Debra Granik say things perfect people In documentary, you are sometimes burdened, or you feel very responsible for dealing with - I want to say - more complicated themes. Fiction allows for greater distillation. Debra Granik feel you complicated sometimes I have, obviously, a very complex relationship with the more industrial side of filmmaking and the machinery that can take an actor or an actress and create something so bamboozling and monumental and fathomless in terms of publicity hits. Debra Granik side something create relationship Some of the subject matters that I like to make stories about are definitely not inherently commercial. So I have to look for a very special kind of financing and go down a very gentle path in order to make my films, as do basically all social-realist filmmakers. It's a long process. Debra Granik down look path long I love to champion some of the hardworking actors where, it's been said to me, they don't bring money. But to me, they bring everything. They bring their wonderful selves. Debra Granik me champion money love I'm from the East Coast, and so therefore, the Pacific Northwest forest is very exotic land to me. Debra Granik forest very me land I find it so hard to make films about my own region, but it could happen. Debra Granik find own hard my-own My producing partner and I were shown a novel we really liked. It was called 'My Abandonment' by Peter Rock, and we enjoyed reading it. Debra Granik rock partner novel reading Every filmmaker has this short book of films that don't get made - for a whole host of reasons. Debra Granik short get host book There's a period where you feel very hinky and low about yourself, like, 'That was a lot of time, and there's nothing to show for it.' I've tried to tell myself that if you're going to be a filmmaker, you can't really talk like that about time, because you'll hate yourself or feel very worthless. Debra Granik yourself myself you time When I find those actors who are going to work that hard and collaborate that deeply, my role is to make sure there's a whole lot there for them to work with. Debra Granik find who hard work Sometimes you get ensnared by an idea, and it's what I call 'the sticky burr': You go hiking, and a burr sticks to you, and that's the film you're going to make. Debra Granik going go you sometimes