For Those Who Can Tell No Tales' is a story of memory and the energy of places that remain full of drama, pain, and denial.

In my country, though it is very patriarchal and male-dominated, the public enjoys women-directed movies.

As a child, I used to 'torture' other kids by making them be in my shows. I would sell tickets to neighbors and organize performances.

I want to create films that will speak to different parts of our hearts and brains, stories told from a different angle.

I had been a reporter for 15 years when I set out to write my first novel. I knew how to research an article or profile a subject - skills that I assumed would be useless when it came to fiction. It was from my imagination that the characters in my story would emerge.

People like Dick Gregory, Paul Robeson, Harry Belafonte and Nina Simone show me what the definition of an artist is - it isn't just to make art but to speak truth to what's happening, speak beauty into the world, speak love into the world and also... get involved.

Growing up, Tina Turner was definitely one of my influences, and, um, I take things from different artists, and I put them in my music, and I put them in my persona and my - they help me form into the artist that I am, so - for people to actually hear that come through the music is exciting.

I'm always struck by the kids who turn up in New York and LA, and places in between. Chicago. Wanting to do theater, wanting to do independent film. Wanting to break into television or radio.