Original subtitles

How do we get here?

The Road to Queen Sugar.

As I'll call it, 94 years of television and only one show.

Is 7 seasons all directed by women with Ava and Oprah did?

Was change these women's lives?

Because we get to do what we were born to do.

And now my whole life is different.

Ava Duvernay and Oprah Winfrey.

Three are fearless leaders.

Who decided to hire female directors for this series?

And it allowed directors who had not had the opportunity to direct.

Television before.

Have an entree.

And to the industry before.

Clean sugar.

I think I had.

2.

Female directors in my career, somebody's gonna give you a shot.

At least one shot. I've been acting like I said since I was 18 years old. It's almost 30 years.

I had one woman who directed me.

In my life, on television and film.

And that one woman was Ava Duvernay.

That's the last thing. Legacy.

The show that I've been on for seven years.

So many women.

Out as female as just directors, not female directors as directors.

I like my television shows to look like the street that I walk down.

Think that this class of directors.

That have unearthed cream sugar.

Will cater to a bevy of movies and TV shows that do just that.

Queen Sugar was a project that was presented to me by Oprah Winfrey. I read the book and I thought it was a gorgeous telling of black farming community, black farmers.

Natalie Bozell, the author, was generous enough and saying I know the book is.

Probably just a foundation. Go ahead, expand it however you.

Want I had a good time playing with the world that.

She created but then creating story on top of it.

That could last for seven seasons.

A lot of those things came from wings that Oprah gave me when she gave me the book.

And not only gave me the book.

Gave me the opportunity to make it.

To control it, to create it, to do it in the way that I wanted.

Being the creator of Queen Sugar was the first time that I got to.

Higher I just knew that I wanted to.

Bring in women directors Who?

Perhaps hadn't done television before, I remember asking Open the question Can I do this?

And she said, can we do this? But thank you on the network, so I think you would be.

Who else would say no? Paul Garnes? Cheryl Miller?

For supporting from from the.

Peter Roth and team.

Reporting from the studio and so all of the key players kind of like the idea of. Let's give it a try.

First reaction, Hearing that.

Ava and Oprah were all.

Female directing team.

It made sense.

And it was revolutionary.

I was doing everything I could to.

Direct, even with my background, even with.

Accolades and wards. I just couldn't get a break.

I had directed two feature films, 2 television movies.

And I could not get.

A television agent, I could not get a meeting.

Not a meeting. It's not that I got a meeting. I didn't get the job. I couldn't get the meetings.

I shadowed after I directed films, not just.

Four, I would show up in people to know my first.

Understand my last name. They didn't know direct.

Film they could careless.

CLA. I did a BA and an MFA in directing.

And then I got pregnant. And my sort of big industry career path.

Shifted as it does.

For a lot of women.

I had a career for about 15 years of direct.

In the Philippines.

But when I immigrated.

I had to start from.

Scratch everyone told me.

I couldn't do it and.

To call them when I got my first episode.

But no one was giving me the first episode until Ava.

Gave me that call and I got to be a director on Season 4.It was such a fun.

Choosing.

The directors because there was number, rhyme or reason to the selection other than I liked.

Their work Oregon, Their verve or their vibe? Some legends who had.

Seen their work wouldn't.

Inspired me Cat Candler, Eduardo Guerrero Cheryl Dunya as well.

Want to watch this woman's work or?

You know what? I've seen her talk about what she wants to do, and she's been.

Working as AD but.

That's a director right there. Like, give her an episode or, you know, I've seen this woman's.

Start as a PA and work.

Harder than anybody on.

Year after year after year, the.

She's ready. Let her do it. I'd been an indie filmmaker for about 15 years.

Before Ava called me and then Ava called one day and said.

Say hey, you've been ready.

I made a couple of feature films.

And Ava Duvernay slipped into my DMS on Twitter.

And that was the beginning of what I like to call being in the rocket ship.

My e-mail and there's an e-mail there that says.

Hi Carmen, Ava Duvernay here. I've seen your work and I'm very serious about hiring you to direct season.

Four When can we meet?

And I was like.

Is that really her?

And then one day she called and said.

Screw them. Would you like to direct an episode of Queen Sugar? And I, of course, said yes.

And she was like, I want you to direct Queen Sugar.

And I got quiet Causeway I had to.

Had to catch my breath, Ava. Seeing.

Something bigger, something more possible and taking a chance on.

On me.

Come join us. I recognize you as the talent that you are. I mean, that made me cry, and I felt like there was a place where I could belong and spread my wings.I'm really grateful, you know.

Ava changed my whole life.

And literally one second.

When I got that call, I thought I was going to lose my mind.

It really changed my whole life.

My dreams come alive.

So much of our industry is safeguarded against giving people.

At chance, Not a chance to Pennsylvania or be your assistant like.

The big chance?

My film professor, Doctor Ramos. Rachel Ramos.

She knew Abel from back in the day and was like, I'm gonna hit this lady up. I brought her to.

Where I introduced her to Shooter.

Sierra Gaudet. I looked there.

In front of these people at the table.

I'm the one you need and I'm gonna work on your movie. So what I gotta do?

She wasn't trying to be anything other than who she was. She was.

Completely authentic.

And she was from Alabama. We were about to shoot someone.

Over and do a couple days worked way up that crew. I turn around. She's on my.

Next crew and always going back and forth to Queen Sugar. So she started as just a.

Regular Pennsylvania production assistant who does anything that's needed.

And while Ava was here doing the first two episodes, she was like, hey.

Start shooting some stuff to work your way up.

Tina overheard and she was like, I'll help you.

Give me the script. You get it. Like you got my time, I'm free.

I'm free for you. For you.

It's free and we did it, and it was beautiful. And little by little she rises up.

And finally, I said, You know.

It's your time. She calls me and she.

He's like I just.

Just called to tell you that you know we're going to be able to start back shooting Queen Sugar.

You know there was only one spot left.

Long, dramatic pause. And I'm.

Sitting on the other side of the phone like.

Oh my God, I cannot believe she's gonna break my heart like this.

And she goes.

And I picked you. I got flown out to do my 3.

Episodes of Queen Sugar. Two days before my 29th birthday, she.

So hard. And now I've just watched her, like, take off.

I love you so much.

Uh-oh. That's what makes it really special for me is like, you know, people that saw me as a PA running around to.

Them really just embracing me like as a director.

Somebody that has a vision and an opportunity.

All of it, I would absolutely.

Paid off because now I got 12 episodes under my belt. I got some more coming up *** here. What you got? What you talking with your money? So she's like, I got, I got, I did the big splurge. She bought these Jet skis.She deserves it. I hope she jet skis to her heart's content.Was.

Rising as it rogressed.

Hear about the milestone work that the.

Doing in the area of justice opportunity.

It legitimized me in the eyes of the.

And as a director.

Now I have represent.

Now I have an agent and manager and.

All this beautiful.

Started with the seed of being a director on Queen.

Having that.

I have not stopped.

In television, it's been a year and a half I've done.

Queen Sugar I've been directing non-stop. Incredibly joyful and happy to.

Be able to work steadily in what I love to.

What I'm good at I went from my first episode.

Where Ava gave me a chance on Queen Sugar.

All the meetings that I couldn't get with the.

Well, I'm just still going, you know. I've done a dozen more.

So many people that have gone on to do.

Our alum is a who's who.

So unique about working on a show like Queen Sugar where.

All the directors are women. You don't have to talk about being a woman director.

You're just a director. You need to get to talk about the craft and talk about shot lists.

Now we just get to direct.

And we're all really good directors too. That we just.

Didn't have that opportunity before Ava Oprah.

There were so many people and so many directors who are far more talented than me.

Who should have gotten the phone call?

From someone like Ava many years prior. I just happened to land in a moment.

Where Ava and Oprah decided to do this extraordinary thing, there is an army.

Soul brothers and sisters.

Who are ready to hear your call so that.

For humanity, That's why I'm really, really grateful.

I'm really grateful to her.

You can't stop us now.

Too many?

42 women who are.

She got a piece of land.

She divided it up.

She gave us all a little peace.

I have to also help other.

You know, farmers who are struggling with their land or?

My land, my hope and dream for the industry is.

What I felt on the set of Queen Sugar.

How safe and supported?

The family camaraderie and how the crew welcomed a female director.

I want that for every set.

I just want to help build that road farther.

And include more people.

It's really necessary that people continue to follow suit. It's a real call to action that I think.

Must continue. Will continue.

And it'll continue with that.

Thank you so much.

Queen Sugar revolutionized the television industry.

Committing to exclusively hiring women directly, hiring 42 women directly.

We're just so grateful, so humbled.

So overwhelmed with the opportunity.

Did it for seven years.

I'm mayor of the City of New Orleans. Do declare July.

Ask Queen Sugar down.The occasion.

Television series that not only honors the.

Now it's odd if you have.

And you're not hiring women on your directorial team?

And that's been a sea change.

From seven seasons ago, when we began.

I feel like I can see.

Very short time, less than a decade.

A real revolution of thought and the fact that you will be questioned in your.

Expected to have a woman on your team. The importance of this show in terms of the.

The industry is changed.

Point blank, it not only changed our lives, but a lot of people in the.

Mature started to.

No excuses.

Female directors are out there.

Seven seasons later, 42.

Hopefully there's a new Hollywood.

What Ava did for me.

Just like.

Compared to this huge.

Avalanche not just for all 42 directors, but all these.

And writers and.

Potential, you know.

It's an avalanche and I just can't even imagine what it's.

You know the board loans, our show was all about family. It was.

The bedrock of the show. The heart of the show is.

The family bond.

It's a family bond, It's the community bond.

And the way the family fits.

Within that and I think that our crew and our directorial team really simplified that as a.

As well.

Queen Sugar family.

And if you imagine that every crew member played their part in that way, then you see how these directors were.

In a way where they could just.

Jobs, everything's functioning, the lighting, everything's working well, and they could just.

On the beauty and not the roblems.

All right, this is the shot of the city.

Our first ad, Desiree just called.

Wonderful. It was like a blessing and just.

Sound.