“It’s something I’ve thought about quite a bit; the political responsibility of a filmmaker. And being a person of color who grew up not being a person of color in their country, I think my thoughts on the matter might be very specific. I think the one and only responsibility...

“We actually wish to make our audiences concentrate on other aspects of life right now that are not pandemic related, such as ‘elephant-in-the-room’ topics that everyone can now reflect on in the comfort of the pause the world is currently in,” says Associate Producer Deniz Bulat. 

"The only thing that really stayed constant in my life was my passion for the stage. My mom said that before I was born I used to kick to the beat of the music they were listening to. I don't know if that's true, but I like to believe it...

"My life here is a gift and a privilege. In the city, hours can feel like seconds sometimes. You are running and chasing so many things that you forget where you are. It can be overwhelming, but I wouldn’t want to live in any other place, this is my home."...

Life is by no means easy as a dancer in New York City, but there is a constant fire in Irene's belly that keeps her on her feet. While it is a difficult dream to become a dancer, Irene says “thank god I have a passion... When I start something,...

"I always enjoy going on a journey into the unknown, discovering things along the way through working with the actors and the crew. When I make a film about a different time period I always relate it to the present. It is inevitable since I am a man living in...

"The story is about a boy who learns what is good and what is bad. His intentions are noble, but in the context he lives in there is no possibility of doing good. I did not want to make a film about criminals. I wanted to show the innocence -...

"Less is more. Simplicity is difficult to achieve. We had to take out a lot. It was their first time as actors and my first time directing non-actors. It was based on trust. They trusted me a lot. We worked a lot. It was not easy. But we were always...

"I was looking for the simplest way to serve the story and to arrive at the core of the scene. That is what is important to me. The story is a character driven and I worked with non-professional actors, so I was influenced a lot by my actors (Federico Bondi)."

"Opera lives on an emotional plane rather than a literal plane (Fred Plotkin)" "Opera is a place of continuity, preservation and passing on of works of past centuries, as well as their coming alive through concrete, contemporary productions and performances (Barbara Rett)"