Gina Prince-Bythewood
Gina Prince-Bythewood
Gina Prince-Bythewood is an American film director and screenwriter. She is known for directing and producing the films Disappearing Actsand Love & Basketball, The Secret Life of Bees, and Beyond the Lights...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionDirector
Date of Birth10 June 1969
CountryUnited States of America
directors hiring male millions people respect risk student sundance talent work
Talent has no gender. People are hiring young male directors right out of film school, off of a student film or off of a film at Sundance for millions of dollars. You can do the same with a female. It's not a risk about the work if you respect the film that they made.
adopted birth complete finding given growing search trying white
I was adopted by a Salvadorian mother and a white father. Growing up having complete identity crisis. Then my search for my mother and trying to find out why I was given up, and how could a mother give up a child, then finding out the circumstances of my birth was pretty traumatizing.
break came industry large school thousands
I just remember when I came out of film school - and I loved film school - that the industry was such a mystery. How to break in, and once you are in, how to make a film; that is such a large undertaking. There are thousands of pitfalls.
crying rare realizing seeing sitting theater watching women
I remember sitting in the theater watching 'Bridesmaids,' and I'm doubled over laughing, and then I'm crying in the same movie. It's the overwhelming feeling, as I'm looking up and seeing these women, and I'm realizing how rare it is to see that.
college white confusion
I grew up with white parents and until after college, it was a lot of confusion, especially because I grew up in an all-white area. So I never looked around and saw anyone who looked like me.
struggle careers want
I want us to have it all, love and career. It's a struggle sometime to achieve that, but I love the struggle.
writing scripts emotion
I write to music, so every script I have has its own playlist. Music just opens me up to the emotions that I'm writing.
passion fighting overcoming
Be passionate about your [movie] material, because you're going to have to overcome a lot of "No's," and it's that passion that fuels the fight.
crazy ideas trying
A classic is a classic for a reason. Let's try to create new classics. The idea of repeating ourselves drives me a little crazy.
writing character perfect
People often ask me if I feel discriminated against as a black female director. I don't. I'm actually offered a ton of stuff. But I only want to direct what I write. And I prefer to focus on black female characters. What's most important to me is to put characters up onscreen who are not perfect, but who are human and flawed.
real mean writing
I write to music, and Nina Simone is always on my playlist to write to. I mean, shes inspiring. Shes truthful and real and raw.
fascinated respect
Improv is a very big thing for me. The thing with actors is I do not understand at all how they do what they do. I'm fascinated by it, and I have such a respect for it.