When I finished at NYU, I was approached to do a film about Northern Ireland [A Leap of Faith, premiered at Sundance in 1996] and I latched on to that … I worked in TV after that (it’s hard to make a living as a doc filmmaker) … I’ve done a lot of reality shows … and then I reached a point again where I just made a decision to make docs ...
Q: Who were your role models in the film world?
A: It was very hard coming from a generation where there weren’t a lot of women role models for me (or for any of the people around me) to understand how to be in a position of leadership … as a woman working with a crew of men who were older than me, with more experience, there was some serious cutting of teeth … In order to succeed, I had to overcome this need to be liked. I wasn’t helping anybody if they liked me. I was helping them if they respected me. Sometimes getting them to respect you meant getting them to do what you wanted when they didn’t want to … I think it might be easier for the next generation. But still, if you look around, there are many, many more male directors than female. And I don’t think it’s because the talent is disproportionately in men; it’s the confidence and leadership …
Q: What would you say to women interested in becoming filmmakers?
A: The strongest asset you can have, more so than talent or contacts, is faith in yourself. I’ve seen a lot of marginally talented people go very far—but it’s because they have the faith in their ability to tell a story that others will want to hear and they firmly believe they have a right to do so.
I would say that if there’s anything else you want to do, do that thing, because filmmaking is not easy! You will give it up before you make it, if there’s anything else you can do. I really believe that. Because I’ve tried to give it up! But I couldn’t think of any other scenario that I could live with! I think it’s the same with writers. The people who remain writers are the ones that can’t do anything else … it’s a calling …
Q: What’s the most difficult part of documentary filmmaking?
A: There’s a certain uneasiness about telling real people’s lives. It’s an immense responsibility. These are real people … they’ve taken a great leap of faith in putting their trust in you … you have to find that way of telling the truth which is not going to do harm. It handcuffs you; I don’t sit that easily with it, because not everyone wants to know the truth about themselves, nor do they want everyone else to know. I know that starting out. And they don’t.
I think everyone has a different relationship with the truth. There are those who are in love with it—I happen to be one of them—who put it all right out there, no shame. The truth can’t hurt them. Then there are other people who live in a world of their own creation and have a fear of the truth.
