When we're talking about diversity, it's not a box to check. It is a reality that should be deeply felt and held and valued by all of us. Ava DuVernay More Quotes by Ava DuVernay More Quotes From Ava DuVernay I feel mushy these days when I think about art and artists and the work that lies ahead for us. There's good work to be done and there's joy to be found in it, I think. Ava DuVernay lying art thinking In addition to that, we have a woman post-production supervisor, a woman colorist, a woman first AD, a woman production supervisor... I think it's really sad when I hear so many shows are content to stay in a mono-cultural realm, not realizing how they are subtracting from their own greatness by not inviting women and people of color into the space - that seasoning that makes the recipe even more great. It was absolutely imperative for me. It's how I run all my crews. Ava DuVernay greatness running thinking By the end of the documentary [ '13th'], you really understand what prison is, what the prison industrial complex is, where this whole Black Lives Matter movement comes from, the history of resistance, the history of how politicians have used criminality over the decades for a particular political gain. It's to give people an understanding of it so they can make their own decisions about how they want to be in the world. Ava DuVernay decision giving people I know that sounds a little bit corny, but I've found some solace in that. I hope art can continue to do that for people, I really do. Ava DuVernay littles people art True change is a long game, and it remains to be seen if this is change. We've had years before where there have been great years for filmmakers and performers of color, LGBTQ filmmakers and performers, women. Ava DuVernay color games years We've had these bursts of cool years here or there but that's not change. That's a trend. You only hope that this could be the beginning of true change. Ava DuVernay trends years Is there deeply embedded change within our industry? And I would say, as a black filmmaker, it's easy for me to focus my attention on black work, but true change would include brown work, and it would include work by Asian-Americans, and it would include natives, and it would include women, and it would include more LGBTQ voices. Ava DuVernay black voice focus I know how to make films and now I'm able to make films with the resources and the tools that match my imagination, and what filmmaker doesn't want to do that? I feel very fortunate to have that. I don't take it for granted. Ava DuVernay tools imagination want On my very first show, my partners in it, Oprah Winfrey and her network, and studio, Warner Horizon, who doesn't get enough credit, said, "Lady, we're going to let you call the shots the way you want to." Ava DuVernay horizon credit want I feel like it had an impact, in that it started the attention that has been paid to what was happening. It started to get us into this whole conversation about prison reform, the whole bipartisan dialogue that's been happening over the past five, six years about this, where you have a Van Jones and a Newt Gingrich, and you have the Rick Perrys and so forth getting up and talking about the need to reform. Ava DuVernay impact talking past I mean, if this [film Age of Trump] wasn't on Netflix, it would be playing at some lovely art house theater on the West Side once or twice or for a week or maybe two weeks if I was lucky and then it would go away, and I'd be lucky if I could sell the DVDs off my website. Ava DuVernay two mean art More people have seen 13th on Netflix than have seen all my films put together between the Sundance winners and Selma, and the whole international distribution of film. Ava DuVernay netflix together people When I went out to shoot for the first time, I thought this was going to be about the prison industrial complex, purely about prison for profit and the ways in which there's an industry making money and profiting off punishment. Ava DuVernay punishment way firsts A lot of work was done with one of my best friends and editor, Spencer Averick, who's edited everything I've ever made from the very, very first documentaries; the very, very first films I made were docs, so we learned the form together. Ava DuVernay my-best-friend editors together I think when we get to a place that this is not the story, that everyone's story is a part of the story, then we can say this has changed. Until then, these are steps to change if they're consistent. Ava DuVernay stories steps thinking I think there are a lot of people in this industry that have the ability, that have the position, they have the opportunity, they have the privilege to call the shots and could do it too. Ava DuVernay opportunity people thinking The fact that we have people who have headed up oil corporations now assigned to places in cabinet. Ava DuVernay corporations oil people When you say cultural icon, I scrunch my nose. Ava DuVernay icons noses I just remember not having access to films as a young person who loved films but living in Compton. Ava DuVernay film young remember For film, you know, the Tarantinos and Nolans of the world who are very focused on a certain kind of film aesthetic and a certain kind of presentation, to be honest, that comes from a place of privilege. It comes from a place of always having access to such, but when you ain't never - you can't see it because you can't even get to it. Ava DuVernay privilege honest world
