53 Quotes by Barry Jenkins

'Moonlight' isn't an issue film. It's not about addiction, it's not about sexuality, it's not about identity. It's about all these different layers, because they are all a part of the character.

We are carrying these images out into the world, and we can't control how people contextualize those images no matter how virtuous our aspirations and our intentions are.

I used to be obsessed with race. I'm more obsessed with class now.

Sometimes, how you ingest this idea of masculinity as projected onto you by the world could be the difference of life and death.

You walk on a set, and you have no idea - that's why I don't storyboard. It's all possible.

'Moonlight' is a story that hasn't been told. Whether placed as queer black cinema or urban male cinema, the lack of coming-of-age films featuring people like Chiron and set in places like inner-city Miami is pronounced and unfortunate.

It used to be that watching a film was a very special occasion, the same way flying was. Before, if you took a flight from New York to L.A., most of the windows would be open. Now, we get on planes and we just close them because we're so used to what it feels like. I think the same thing has happened with cinema.

I'm so damn boring. I like reading and writing and making coffee. And walking. Barry Jenkins likes long walks.

I just came back from my hometown, making a movie about a kid who grew up just like me, and it was financed by white people in New York. Personally, I can't be angry. In my personal experience, the support was there.