25 Barry Jenkins Quotes for You to Enjoy

Barry Jenkins

American Director

Born: Nov 19, 1979

Good Me People Think World You

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

It used to be that watching a film was a very special occasion, the same way flying was. Before, if you took a flight from New York to L.A., most of the windows would be open. Now, we get on planes and we just close them because we're so used to what it feels like. I think the same thing has happened with cinema. Barry Jenkins

You Cinema Before Same Thing Think Took Way Flying Would Would-Be Windows Open Feels New Like Most Occasion Because Very Close Get York Same Just New York Happened Them Planes Used Flight Special Special Occasion Film Now Thing Watching

If you try to create something that everybody can relate to, you're gonna make something that nobody can relate to. Barry Jenkins

You Try Relate Everybody Something Nobody Make Gonna Create

It's interesting because I think class is a heavy, heavy part of 'Moonlight,' and I think, in a certain way, through the sum of all these parts, it's become a commentary on the black experience in America. Barry Jenkins

Class Experience Black Become Think Sum Way Moonlight Through Part Parts Because Commentary America Heavy Interesting Certain Certain Way

There's nothing in Hollywood that's inherently detrimental to good art. I think that's a fallacy that we've created because we frame the work that way too overtly. 'This is Hollywood.' 'This isn't Hollywood.' It's like, 'No, this is actually all Hollywood.' People are just framing them differently. Barry Jenkins

Work Art Good People Nothing Think Too Frame Framing Way Detrimental Like Because Fallacy Just Them Hollywood Hollywood People Created Good Art Inherently Actually Differently

In hip-hop, sometimes that pace is so fast that you miss things. I don't mean literally miss lyrics; I just think there's an emotion in what these cats are saying that gets by you. When you slow things down, there's this emotion, this yearning. Barry Jenkins

Saying You Cats Sometimes Slow Down Think Lyrics Emotion Miss Hip-Hop Yearning Gets Just Literally Pace Mean Fast Things

Making films. It gave me a voice. Legitimately saved me. Barry Jenkins

Me Films Saved Gave Voice Making

A month alone would make me so happy. Not good for my dating prospects. Barry Jenkins

Alone Good Me Happy Month Would Dating Prospects Make

At school, film-making had been the most beautiful thing that ever happened to me. Then I get to L.A., and it's this whole other thing. I checked out. Barry Jenkins

Beautiful Me School Most Beautiful Other Out Had Checked Most Beautiful Thing Most Beautiful Thing Been Get Happened Then Whole Ever Thing Film-Making

The way I work, things are very nuanced; not everything is explained. Barry Jenkins

Work Everything Way Very Explained Things

I've worked at this film festival in Telluride called the Telluride Film Festival. Been there since 2002. I used to make popcorn. I was an usher. Cleaned toilets, everything. Grew up there as a kid. Barry Jenkins

Toilets Everything Kid Cleaned Since Make Been Up Festival Grew Worked Used Popcorn Usher Film Film Festival

I was hiding behind athletics and all my jockitude, so I didn't have to deal with being ostracized as the weird art kid. Barry Jenkins

Art Kid Hiding Athletics Weird Deal Behind Being

'Moonlight' changed me. To see people so moved by this movie inspires me to find something else to offer. And maybe the next one touches only five people or maybe just one person. To me, you know, that would still be worth it. Barry Jenkins

Me You People Worth Changed Else Worth It Moonlight Would Find See Something Something Else Only Inspires Know Still Five Offer Person Maybe Just Moved Movie Just One Next

I'm process-orientated. Awards, by their nature, are results-orientated. Barry Jenkins

Nature Awards

Until 'Moonlight,' I had never seen one black man cook for another on screen. But I wanted the characters to be free of 'groundbreaking' or 'never before.' We were ascribed those things. They weren't the point. Barry Jenkins

Man Black Free Seen Before On-Screen Those Moonlight Characters Point Never Had Until Another Were Screen Wanted Cook Things

Not all my work features black actors. I mean, it's funny: someone was reading back to me all the languages that have appeared in my films, whether they were shorts or features. They span Arabic, French, Mandarin, Cantonese - all kinds of languages. I think it's really cool. Barry Jenkins

Work Funny Me Black Reading Think Films Back All My Work Arabic Kinds Someone Features French Were Whether Span Mean Shorts Really Languages Cool Appeared Actor

Because I'm so in the eye of the hurricane, I don't have a really good perception of what's happening. I'm in a room talking to people, and that's all I know. But sometimes I go out of these rooms - I live in L.A., and every now and then, maybe twice a week, I'll be somewhere, and someone will say, 'Hey, are you the guy that made Moonlight?' Barry Jenkins

Good You People Sometimes Will Made Perception Somewhere Live Every Hey Say Eye Moonlight Out Hurricane Someone Guy Week Know Talking Because Go Maybe Happening Room Rooms Then Really Now Now And Then Twice Twice A Week

I used to be obsessed with race. I'm more obsessed with class now. Barry Jenkins

Class More Obsessed Race Used Now

My films are personal-voice-driven films about human characters and the place we live. Technically, I'm an independent filmmaker. Barry Jenkins

Technically Live Films Independent Characters About Human Place Filmmaker

I grew up really poor and have always been the type of person who will work earlier or work harder or more than the other person to even the playing field. Barry Jenkins

My first job was cutting grass. In Miami, this grass grows everywhere. You just get the lawn mower out, walk down the neighborhood, cut grass. Barry Jenkins

You Walk Job First Down Grass Everywhere Neighborhood Out Lawn First Job Miami Get Just Cut Cutting Grows

I didn't really want to be a filmmaker, growing up. Other than Spike Lee's movies, I would think, 'Where is a place for me?' We were so damn poor that it just seemed too far beyond. Barry Jenkins

Me Think Damn Too Other Spike Would Seemed Beyond Were Lee Up Than Just Where Want Place Movies Poor Far Really Growing Growing Up Filmmaker

Barry Jenkins Quotes

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