Top 22 Patricia Riggen Quotes

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

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

I have years of saying ideas that are not listened to. Then, weeks after, of producers finding out that I was right when some other guy comes in and says it. Sometimes I just tell my idea to my editor or to some other guy with maybe gray hair to share it, and then it’s brilliant!

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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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.’

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

I love getting people’s opinion of what I’m doing.

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’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.