If your dream is only about you, it's too small.

Ava DuVernay Quotes

American - Director Born: August 24, 1972

Creativity is an energy. It's a precious energy, and it's something to be protected. A lot of people take for granted that they're a creative person, but I know from experience, feeling it in myself, it is a magic; it is an energy. And it can't be taken for granted. Ava DuVernay

Experience, Magic, Granted

I think any black woman is a queen. It's just, do you know it? Do you see it in yourself? Do you recognize it, do you abide by that, do you define yourself as that? Based on who we are and what we've been through and how we survive and where we stand, we are on kind of sacred ground. We stand on the backs of our ancestors. Ava DuVernay

I Think, Through, Been

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

Held, About, Felt

I am honored to be one of this year's Urbanworld ambassadors for the festival's 20th anniversary, joining my friend David Oyelowo. I have always had a special relationship with Urbanworld, back to my days as a festival publicist to previewing my earlier films and now as an ambassador. Ava DuVernay

Back, Year, Joining

Be passionate and move forward with gusto every single hour of every single day until you reach your goal. Ava DuVernay

Goal, Move, Gusto

If, in 2014, we're still making 'white savior movies,' then it's just lazy and unfortunate. We've grown up as a country, and cinema should be able to reflect what's true. And what's true is that black people are the center of their own lives and should tell their own stories from their own perspectives. Ava DuVernay

Country, Lazy, Own

You could make the most beautiful film, and that weekend it's raining too hard on the East Coast, and no one goes out. Artists should have a chance to do it again. That's the challenge: Women artists don't get a second chance. People-of-color artists don't get a second chance. You're put in director's jail, and that's a wrap. Ava DuVernay

Second Chance, Weekend, Put

Women have been trained in our culture and society to ask for what we want instead of taking what we want. We've been really indoctrinated with this culture of permission. I think it's true for women, and I think it's true for people of color. It's historic, and it's unfortunate and has somehow become part of our DNA. But that time has passed. Ava DuVernay

I Think, Been, Trained

If your dream is only about you, it's too small. Ava DuVernay

Small, Dream, Your Dream

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

Fact, Loud, Very

Top 10
Ava DuVernay
Quotes

Film is a mirror. I want to see more filmmakers. We all want to see ourselves. Ava DuVernay

Mirror, See, More

I love community, I love to be around other people. I love to be around other people when everyone's feeling good and doing their best. Not to just be the only one in the room that's shining. Ava DuVernay

Love, Doing, Other

Diversity is not one in the room. Diversity is not two in the room. Diversity is not three in the room. True diversity is half the room. Ava DuVernay

Diversity, True, Half

Artists should be free to create what we want. I believe there's a special value in work that is a reflection of oneself as opposed to interpretation. When I see a film or a TV show about black people not written by someone who's black, it's an interpretation of that life. Ava DuVernay

TV, Show, TV Show

In Hollywood, there is one dominant voice. It is a white, male, straight gaze. When I talk about positive portrayals of black people and women, I'm saying complexity. I'm not saying goody-two-shoes, everything's okay. No. The positive view of me is to see me as I am: the 'good,' the 'bad,' the gray. That is a positive portrayal. Ava DuVernay

Hollywood, Voice, Complexity

My next project is 'Venus Vs,' which is a documentary that follows tennis star Venus Williams and her effort to get equal-award pay for women at Wimbledon. Most people don't realize that Venus fought for years to make sure women and men winners of that tennis championship received the same amount in award money. Ava DuVernay

Project, Next, Fought

I think for female filmmakers a big issue is making their second and third films. Ava DuVernay

Think, Big, Films

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

Hollywood, Voice, Anything

I didn't go to film school. I got my education on the set as a niche publicist in the film industry. Ava DuVernay

Education, Film School, Set

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

I Can, Paradigm, Willing

The best art is realized when you can share the experience of making of it and not just the presentation of it, so that the audience is part of the creation and not just part of the consumption. Then it becomes much more full-bodied and robust. Ava DuVernay

Art, Audience, Making

I want more girls to be able to see themselves behind the camera creating images we all enjoy, and I want to call attention to the fact that women directors are here all over the world. Ava DuVernay

Here, Over, Behind

There's something very important about films about black women and girls being made by black women. It's a reflection as opposed to an interpretation. Ava DuVernay

Very, Films, Opposed

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

Love, Skin, Own

There can be a progression to the dream; there can be steps to it. When you dissect any successful person's story, it's really rare that it was all or nothing. It's steps, and I just try to remind myself of that in terms of the things that I want; it's like, everything is a step, leading you to where you need to go. Ava DuVernay

Leading, Progression, Remind

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

Black, Enough, Even

Loading...

Load more quotes

Related Authors

Steven Spielberg

Quentin Tarantino

Stanley Kubrick

BrainyQuote

BrainyQuote Desktop

BrainyQuote Mobile

Site

Quote Of The Day

Social

BQ on Pinterest

BQ on Instagram

Apps

iPhone/iPad app

Quote Of The Day Feeds

Javascript and RSS feeds

WordPress plugin

Quote of the Day Email

About

Copyright © 2001 - 2018 BrainyQuote

Language: Español | Français

OK