Professionally, I made my first film at 20 in a war zone in Kosovo.
In the past, I think my films that focused on African subjects struggled in the marketplace because of their subject matter.
Growing up biracial and speaking four languages - French, Chinese, Portuguese, and English - gave me a different lens. I was always very acutely aware of coming from a different perspective. I think that definitely contributed to what I chose to do with my life.
I went to Princeton to major in comparative literature. I never went to film school, but I studied storytelling across mediums - poems, literature, film, and journalism.
The mission of professional mountain climbers is almost impossibly difficult by design: Their very livelihood is based on achieving the unprecedented. Their expeditions are complicated, exhausting, often life-threatening. Risk is the fuel that keeps them going.
Parenthood has made me more cautious.
I was no stranger to risk myself, having made documentaries in dangerous conditions in Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Africa.
I've always sought to give opportunities to women, to people who come from a different background, to add diversity to the mix - in that I think it makes our work better.
As a documentary filmmaker, 'Meru' was an irresistible challenge. You can spend years searching for the right story, but this one had all the elements: the obstacles, the characters, and the drama.
The cinematography and the conditions in which 'Meru' was filmed drew me to the project. It's remarkable to think that everything in the film is real; these three men set out to attempt this impossible climb and to film it at the same time.
At its heart, 'Meru' is a personal story.
My parents are both immigrants, and we traveled a lot.
That's what happens in feature docs. The more time you spend, the more nuance emerges, the more a story evolves - but it's different than fiction, where you can reshoot something.
I wish I could say I've been following Youssou N'Dour all my life. I haven't.