00:00You know, the approach from the very beginning, Harriet, is not a movie about slavery, it's a movie about freedom and empowerment, because I do think there's some slave fatigue, I mean, in the marketplace, and so there's people, again, I think, are being very pleasantly and empoweringly surprised when they see the movie, because it really is about, you know, like I said, empowerment, and one woman's drive to change her life.
00:30And so people, like, they don't see the, again, that's because they have the anonymity, they haven't seen the movie, they don't even know what it's about, and they're already saying, well, we don't want to see this, and we don't want to see that.
00:41Tell me about the biggest fight you've ever waged to get something made, or get something you needed for a project, and, you know, one that you thought, maybe I'm not going to be able to do this.
00:51Of how many, I mean, every one.
00:53I was like, which one, which is the hardest of all the hard journeys, right?
00:57I mean, listen, this movie took me seven years to bring through the screen, so anytime you're telling a story that may be a little bit out of the mainstream, it's difficult.
01:10I mean, and listen, when you're telling a story about a historical black woman, it's really tough.
01:16You know, seven years ago, people were glazed over when I brought it up.
01:20And as times changed, you know, as Hollywood changed, as the world changed, people became more receptive to the idea that a movie starring a black woman who was and will be someday on the face of the $20 bill might be commercial, have the potential to be, so.
01:36It took time.
01:37It took time.
01:37I'm curious, you know, there's been some discussion about the value of a star.
01:47How important is it to have that name leading your movie?
01:50Does it still need a big movie star to get a movie made these days?
01:54Depends on the movie.
01:55I think so, yeah.
01:56I mean, you know, here, you know, Harry Tubman, and it was about finding the right actor.
02:05Right.
02:05Because the movie lives and breathes on that performance.
02:08So I actually saw Cynthia in The Color Purple before the Tony nomination, blew me away, and I was like, this is Harry Tubman.
02:19I mean, just the breadth of her talent was clear.
02:23The physicality was right.
02:25Everything about her was right.
02:27And when I sat with her a couple weeks later, I was like, this is our actress.
02:31And it was a risk in that sense, but it wasn't a risk because she was the one.
02:43Movies are not easy to get made.
02:46They sit in development for a long time.
02:48You have to fight every step of the way.
02:50Tell me how you know a movie is worth fighting for.
02:53You know, first and foremost, you have to entertain because you have to get people into the theater.
02:57But for me, this is almost a pulpit.
03:00And there are messages that I want to get into the world that I think are important that will inspire people,
03:06that will, you know, maybe even change somebody's life.
03:09So, you know, with Harriet, for instance, it's about a woman who couldn't read, couldn't write,
03:15was destined to be a slave for her entire life and decided, no, that's not going to be my destiny.
03:20And if people can, you know, get that message that they can control what happens in their lives,
03:24that's an important thing.
03:25And that's worth fighting for.
03:26Basically, you push, push, push, push, don't give up, complete determination.
03:32And then you also have to know when it's time to just say, okay, you know what, time to pivot.
03:37Yeah.
03:38And the wisdom to know the difference between the two.
03:41Because sometimes you can be pushing yourself over the cliff, right?
03:45And usually I have learned, and this is where the experience comes into play,
03:49that when I get to that point, I instinctively know, take one, just stand down for a second.
03:55And where I'm going to end up has always been better than where I would have gone.
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