54 Ava DuVernay Quotes for You to Enjoy

Ava DuVernay

American Director

Born: Aug 24, 1972

Black People Think Time Women You

Related authors: David Lynch George Lucas Martin Scorsese Spike Lee Steven Spielberg Tim Burton Woody Allen

I'm not signing on to direct 'Black Panther.' I think I'll just say we had different ideas about what the story would be. Marvel has a certain way of doing things, and I think they're fantastic, and a lot of people love what they do. I loved that they reached out to me. Ava DuVernay

Love Me People Black Think Panther Way Say Out Signing Would Would-Be About Direct Marvel Had Ideas Reached Doing Lot Just Different Loved Story Different Ideas Fantastic Certain Certain Way Things

With the Black Lives Matter movement, a lot of the focus is on the protest and dissent. I'm hoping to dismantle the public notion - for folks outside of the community - of what Black Lives Matter means. It's really about saying that black lives matter: that humanity is the same when you go inside people's homes. Ava DuVernay

Saying You Humanity People Matter Focus Black Community Dissent Hoping Folks Inside About Outside Protest Go Lot Same Movement Public Dismantle Really Means Notion Homes Lives

There's a big difference between the independent film world and the Hollywood film world, and I don't know that I understood that until I got into certain rooms, and people's faces go blank when you talk about Sundance. Ava DuVernay

You People World Big Sundance Independent Independent Film About Faces Blank Between Know Talk Until Got Understood Big Difference Go Difference Hollywood Rooms Certain Film Film World

I'm interested in seeing artists whom I respect who are very focused on the Black Lives Matter moment, bringing that into storytelling in a way that really amplifies the beauty and the humanity of people of color, and does it without having to wave a big sign that says, 'This is what we're doing.' Ava DuVernay

Respect Humanity People Matter Black Beauty Big Wave Way Says Sign Focused Seeing Having Color Without Does Doing Very Artists Interested Storytelling Really Moment Who Whom Lives Bringing

For a film to be made is a small miracle. And sometimes it's a large one. Ava DuVernay

Sometimes Made Miracle Small Large Film

I usually make films with $2 and a paper clip. Ava DuVernay

Films Paper Make Clip

It's not enough even to have one black Barbie... because black women are not a monolith. Ava DuVernay

Women Black Enough Because Women Are Barbie Even

When we say there's a dearth of women directors, it's not that there's a lack of women who direct: it's a lack of opportunities and access for women to direct and be supported in that. Ava DuVernay

Women Opportunities Say Direct Directors Supported Access Dearth Lack Who

Any film that you see that has any progressive spirits that is made by any people of color or a woman is a triumph in and of itself. Whether you agree with it or not. Something that comes with some point of view and some personal perspective from a woman or a person of color is a unicorn. Ava DuVernay

I intend to be making films until I'm an old lady. So, if God willing I get there, I need to create a paradigm for myself where I can make it regardless of whether or not they still like what I'm making. Ava DuVernay

Many hated 'Selma.' Just because my voice and the voice of the people I come from is antithetical to so much of what Hollywood produces. I don't think what I'm saying is in particular radical or anything; it's just different from what they want to sell. Ava DuVernay

Saying People Radical Think Hated Voice Particular Come Because Sell Just Different Just Because Want Anything Hollywood Much Produces Many

Oprah Winfrey is a big role model for me from a business capacity and a creative capacity. She is an incredible interviewer who cultivated a certain style by inserting her own personhood into a show on national television at a time when no one was talking about empowerment, spirituality, or our inner lives. Ava DuVernay

Time Me Business Creative Spirituality Big Style National Own Incredible Interviewer Our Television About No-One She Empowerment Talking Cultivated Oprah Oprah Winfrey Model Role Role Model National Television Capacity Personhood Certain Show Who Lives Her Inner

I love to see people just being regal in their own skin; it's just when they know who they are. Ava DuVernay

Love People Own Skin See Know Just Being Who

Art morphs with what's going on in the world. We say 'Ferguson'; we don't say 'Mike Brown.' Just like we say 'Selma,' not 'Jimmie Lee Jackson.' There is something startling about the people in a particular place, a city or a small town, rising up and taking to the streets. Ava DuVernay

Art People World Say City About Brown Something Rising Small Small Town Taking Particular Town Like Ferguson Lee Up Jackson Going Just Place Mike Streets Startling

All black women aren't sassy, loud, difficult, or subservient. We are, in fact, very complex and very diverse, living very complex and diverse lives. That point cannot be made enough. Ava DuVernay

Women Black Made Living Difficult Enough Complex Diverse Fact Point Loud Very Subservient In Fact Cannot Sassy Lives

I'm a filmmaker to my bones. Ava DuVernay

Filmmaker Bones

Art is something that grows and breathes and lives, and it shouldn't be predicated on the success of box office - but it is. But within that, you have to give people a chance to find their voice, to play, to continue to create. Ava DuVernay

Success Art You People Find Give Something Voice Box Box Office Within Continue Office Breathes Create Lives Play Grows Chance

We know there needs to be diversity in storytellers telling their own stories. I think there's a beautiful forward movement in that direction with McQueen telling '12 Years A Slave,' with Coogler telling 'Fruitvale,' and with Daniels telling 'The Butler.' Ava DuVernay

Beautiful Needs Diversity Own Think Telling Direction Know Years Movement Stories McQueen Storytellers Forward Butler Slave

Especially when we're dealing with issues of race, culture, identity, and history, the time has passed for the 'white savior' holding the black person's hand through their own history. Ava DuVernay

Time History Culture Black Own Holding White Savior Through Identity Dealing Passed Issues Hand Person Race

Nonviolence is pretty ballsy, pretty advanced weaponry. Ava DuVernay

Weaponry Pretty Advanced Nonviolence

The way that we're consuming what we watch. Netflix, binge-watching, destination agnostic were not terms. It was about networks, times, dates. Even with feature films, you had to see it this way, in this capacity, at this time. All that has changed. Now it's really about the story. It's a gift that I became a storyteller at this time. Ava DuVernay

Time You Destination Gift Films Changed Way See About Netflix Feature Networks Dates Feature Films Had Consuming Terms Became Were Times Story Storyteller Capacity Really Agnostic Even Now Watch

There was a time when I was knocking on doors and concerned with being recognized in dominant culture. I've found a space where the terrain is different, where I'm embraced by people like me, and where I'm building new ways of doing things, as opposed to trying to insert myself in a place that might not be welcoming. Ava DuVernay

Time Myself Me Culture People Space Building Doors Ways Recognized Embraced Insert New Knocking Like Welcoming Terrain Concerned Doing Opposed Dominant Trying New Ways Being Where Different Place Might Found Things

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