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The Guardian - UK
The Guardian - UK
Lifestyle
Michael Segalov

Ava DuVernay: ‘I’ve got real big-sister energy’

film maker Ava DuVernay sits in a velvet cinema seat
‘People like me in America don’t make films. I’m entirely self-taught’: film maker Ava DuVernay. Photograph: Erik Carter/August

Being the oldest of five kids, I’ve got real big-sister energy. I’m protective and want to take care of people. But I also know when I have to take charge, what it means to be a leader. It shapes me as a director. To lead well, you have to care.

I was a happy young black girl growing up in Compton, California. I loved my neighbourhood, community, my all-girls Catholic high school. I know so many folks who had hard paths in their early years. I’m grateful to have had a different experience.

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