that cinema should make you feel above all else, character and emotion come first
that the plot is not the story
that cinema should express humanity as authentically as possible
that form and style should serve the narrative, cinema should show not tell, and every choice should serve the narrative
that the why of the film is most important, there should be intention in every choice; camera angle, misc-en-scene, sound elements, editing, all should serve and reinforce the why
that cinema should express personal voice, without fear or apology
that cinema should have an impact (but not be didactic), that it should create empathy and unite us
that cinema should trust its audience and not pander to it
that cinema should leave room for interpretation, it should ask questions not shove answers down our throats
that cinema is not ‘content’
that cinema should be experienced in a theater with an audience
I believe that as cinema-makers….
we should focus on people over profit, treating everyone with dignity and respect
we should realize that collaboration is key, and be open to new ideas at every stage
we should build community, sharing information and resources with one another
we should act with integrity, do what we say we’ll do and own up to mistakes
we should admit that we do not know everything, and always be asking questions, especially “how can we make or do this better?
we should work to sustain a theatrical ecosystem, because shared viewing is essential to cinema’s power to inspire culture and empathy.
