For me, whether it’s [becoming] the first black woman to win Sundance, the first black woman nominated for director at the Golden Globes, the first African-American woman to be nominated for a documentary feature Oscar, or the first to make a $100 million film, all of those firsts to me are bittersweet because my mind immediately goes to the women before me who should’ve been those firsts — not could’ve, who should’ve if they were not in an industry that ignored them and turned a blind eye to their talent and their voice: people like Julie Dash, Euzhan Palcy, Ayoka Chenzira, Neema Barnette, Kasi Lemmons, these are women whose voices are strong and whose visions are really magnificent — and they came at the wrong time. And I know that the reason why the microphone’s in my face is because I just happened to be here at the right time.
![fuckyeahwomenfilmdirectors:
“For me, whether it’s [becoming] the first black woman to win Sundance, the first black woman nominated for director at the Golden Globes, the first African-American woman to be nominated for a documentary feature Oscar,...](http://68.media.tumblr.com/13169ff50e80e7a8a8079d2f1860f24d/tumblr_olh9jjN7gW1tw3kfno1_1280.jpg)