'Sugar Cane Alley' had a lot of international success, big success everywhere.
My grandmother always used to tell me, if I had a problem, I was only allowed to complain for one second. Then I had to take action.
In the days when I wasn't being taken seriously, I wore long skirts - very conservative. But now, I dress any way I want to.
I believe that the American audience is not so dumb that they wouldn't be interested in a black story.
I wanted to make a black story about South Africa. Unfortunately, no producer in the United States would put one penny into a black story.
Some people make movies for money or glory and will take any subject people offer them. But I cannot do that. I need to feel the story and make it mine.
As a child, I always wanted to be the last one to take a bath because I knew I could close the door and spend hours just having my bath and singing.
When my mother and father fell in love, my mother's family would never accept it.
When I started out, there were three things that made film people look at me with condescension, I was young, I was black, and I was female. I have won a certain respect, but I think the film community still sees directing as a male job.
Francois Truffaut was my godfather on 'Sugar Cane Alley.' He believed in me and in that story, and told everyone that it should be made.
My experience I consider an accident in the Hollywood system. I don't believe it should be a reference for a black film maker, or an example for any young film maker, because it's purely luck.
I've been to Cuba many times.
There are many projects I couldn't get off the ground because they didn't have white heroes. It's a problem that everyone who's been working in Hollywood has been facing.
When African-Americans come to France, the French show them more consideration than they would show an African or a Black Caribbean. When African-Americans come to France, the French people are like, 'Oh, wow. Oh my God.' But if it's an African, they're like, 'Whatever.' It's all because of the past, because of our history.
