Art is inherently political. Even trying to make a film that has nothing to do with politics is, in and of itself, a political act.
Barry JenkinsRead
As a writer, a blank page will humble the hell out of you. It always does, and it always will.
Interpretation
The blank page represents the daunting challenge faced by writers, reminding them of their vulnerability and the creative struggle.
This quote by Barry Jenkins illustrates the profound humility that writers experience when confronted with a blank page. It captures the essence of the creative process, highlighting the fear, uncertainty, and self-doubt that often accompany the act of creation, while also reaffirming that this struggle is a constant and universal aspect of the writing journey.
In practice
In a speech at a writers' conference to inspire fellow authors about the writing process.
Art is inherently political. Even trying to make a film that has nothing to do with politics is, in and of itself, a political act.
'Moonlight' is a story that hasn't been told. Whether placed as queer black cinema or urban male cinema, the lack of coming-of-age films featuring people like Chiron and set in places like inner-city Miami is pronounced and unfortunate.
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.
I have friends who I consider my peers, who have done amazing work, particularly in the film and television space, who came up as independent artists and who have been - to be brutally honest - much more prolific than I was able to be.
Cinema is a little over 100 years old, and a lot of what we do is built around film emulsion. Those things were calibrated for white skin. We've always placed powder on skin to dull the light. But my memory of growing up in Miami is this moist, beautiful black skin.
'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.
If we could but paint with the hand what we see with the eye.
It's a very excruciating life facing that blank piece of paper every day and having to reach up somewhere into the clouds and bring something down out of them.
Fashion is about two things: the evolution and the opposite.
Theater is my temple and my religion and my act of faith. Strangers sit in a room together and believe together.
Watch out for music. It should come with a health warning. It can be dangerous. It can make you feel so alive, so connected to the people around you, and connected to what you really are inside. And it can make you think that the world should, and could, be a much better place. And just occasionally, it can make you very, very happy.
Literature is a luxury; fiction is a necessity.
Subscribe for the occasional hand-picked quote. No noise.