Patricia Riggen Quotes

"I went to New York City to Columbia University, and with the first directing exercise, I knew I was a director."

"When I was in college, my graduation thesis was called 'Female Directors.' I interviewed all of the important female directors from Mexico. There were four. That was it."

"I wish I had seen some women directing before - that would have given me the idea of who I was."

"It never crossed my mind to be a director, and I'll tell you why: because I'm a woman. It just didn't occur to me, but I knew I had to be in film."

"It's a very tricky relationship, the cinematographer and the director as a woman."

"I do find that it's easier to get Latino-themed movies... but I don't think there's that stigma anymore. I think that what's harder is to be a woman, not to be a Latina."

"I think the three Mexican directors that came before me did a very good job in Hollywood because they came in and started directing things like 'Harry Potter.'"

"I finally, you know, moved to Mexico City, where the film industry is. I started working there as a producer, which is a very, very valid thing for women to do, because we always produce for men, right?"

"I am tired of having to prove myself constantly, even after being hired. Every single day, every single idea, I need to prove myself. I am tired of it!"

"I love getting people's opinion of what I'm doing."

"I think the three Mexican directors - Alejandro Inarritu, Alfonso Cuaron, Guillermo del Toro - gave all of us foreign, and particularly Latino, directors a big break."

"Directors only have instinct to work out of, because there is no formula. Formulas don't work. Actually, if you follow a formula, you will probably end up with a bad movie."

"The only thing I have is instinct and intuition and just staying very, very connected to the moments and try to bring in what your gut is telling you."

"I like making movies that people feel inspired by, a film that they will think about a few days after seeing it, and not entertainment that is completely forgettable the moment you walk out of the theater."

"I have a handicap in that English is not my first language. So even though I'm a writer, I don't write anymore because it's just harder in English."

"The idea that women compete or don't like each other or undermine each other or sabotage each other, that's a big miss. That is not true at all. At all. My women connect with each other instantly and help each other."

"There are a lot of female directors in documentary, very talented. But it's always lower budget."

"Chile's mines are very dangerous; the country has a lot of earthquakes."

"The problem of working in a mine, you are inside the belly of the monster, and it controls you. The air you breathe, the stones that fall on your head, we had to be on guard."

"I have worked steadily since I started, but things are very hard for women and need to change."

"I am grateful that I'm working, but I also have to say I've worked really, really hard and had to fight a lot."

"Every single line, every single thing has to be fought over. There's kind of like an intrinsic doubt from absolutely everyone in my crew, my producer, everyone. It's not just the film industry - it's a worldwide thing. It's the culture of the world to doubt women."

"I love the Kathryn Bigelow example: she didn't just do war movies - she did them better than other directors."

"To get a movie star, you have to give them two hours of screen time."

"If your film is in English, it makes it that much easier to get a wide release."

"Americans are more likely to watch a film in their own language. For the rest of the world, it doesn't matter so much."

"I've always seen movies in English with Spanish subtitles. For audiences around the world, the language is less important than if it's a good film."