You have to remain open to the situation that you're filming otherwise you might miss the story.

I felt like the universe was tapping me on the shoulder saying, "You're the guy who has to tell this story because nobody else is."

Life is much more complex than the black-and-white sound bites that you get on television. There are nuances and shades of gray.

What you hope, what you're trusting the filmmaker to do, is to capture the emotional truth of the situation.

If people spend two hours thinking about the direction of their own lives and can relate to the stories they see on screen, to me that's a success.

Any documentary; any capturing of a non-fiction event, is a hyper-realistic condensation of reality that hopefully reveals an emotional truth. It's never the actual literal truth of an event.

I'm a filmmaker who is known for these ambiguous portraits that tell multiple sides of the story without really telling the audience what to think.

The filmmaker is not telling you what to think.

If a concert film is an experience of the musicianship without critiquing it, then this, too, is dropping you into a world and letting you experience it.

I'm an observer in life, not a participant. That's why I'm a documentarian who looks through a camera. I'm not a touchy-feely person; I'm not a seminar person.

The world is watching, and you better be fair.

Courage is always the surest wisdom.

I've always wanted to be a cardiologist. If I have time I want to study Medicine someday.

First off, I am 35 years old, I am divorced, and I live in a van down by the river.

Everybody is making predictions who is going to win. I am no different than you.

To love is to be balanced, to extend one's self beyond the sense of self.

It is not always them that has the most that makes the most show.

Stubborn isn't a word I would use to describe myself; pigheaded is more appropriate.

Masculinity & femininity are just styles. They are interpretations

Everyone's different, but it was fun for me to work with Garth Hudson. He's from 'The Band.' They are a massive influence, that was a big thrill. He's completely out of his mind.

God would never have let us long for our friends with such a strong and holy love, if they were not waiting for us.