Euzhan Palcy Quotes

Martinique, Director
January 13, 1958

Euzhan Palcy is a film director, writer and producer from Martinique, French West Indies. She is notable for being the first black woman director of a film produced by a major Hollywood studio (MGM), for A Dry White Season (1989), as well as being the only woman filmmaker to have directed Marlon Brando, whom she brought back to the screen after a gap of nine years. Palcy is the first black director (male or female) to direct an actor to an Oscar nomination and the first black director to win a César Award, the highest French film award. She is also the first black director to win a Venice Film Festival Award (Silver Lion).

I believe that the American audience is not so dumb that they wouldn't be interested in a black story.

Euzhan Palcy
When my mother and father fell in love, my mother's family would never accept it.

Euzhan Palcy

I wanted to make a black story about South Africa. Unfortunately, no producer in the United States would put one penny into a black story.

Euzhan Palcy
When I started out, there were three things that made film people look at me with condescension, I was young, I was black, and I was female. I have won a certain respect, but I think the film community still sees directing as a male job.

Euzhan Palcy
- Job
- Community
- Respect
As a child, I always wanted to be the last one to take a bath because I knew I could close the door and spend hours just having my bath and singing.

Euzhan Palcy
- Singing
- Child
- Bath
I've been to Cuba many times.

Euzhan Palcy
- Cuba
My grandmother always used to tell me, if I had a problem, I was only allowed to complain for one second. Then I had to take action.

Euzhan Palcy
Some people make movies for money or glory and will take any subject people offer them. But I cannot do that. I need to feel the story and make it mine.

Euzhan Palcy
- Money
- Movies
- Glory

Francois Truffaut was my godfather on 'Sugar Cane Alley.' He believed in me and in that story, and told everyone that it should be made.

Euzhan Palcy
- Story
- Believed
- Godfather
When African-Americans come to France, the French show them more consideration than they would show an African or a Black Caribbean. When African-Americans come to France, the French people are like, 'Oh, wow. Oh my God.' But if it's an African, they're like, 'Whatever.' It's all because of the past, because of our history.

Euzhan Palcy
There are many projects I couldn't get off the ground because they didn't have white heroes. It's a problem that everyone who's been working in Hollywood has been facing.

Euzhan Palcy
My experience I consider an accident in the Hollywood system. I don't believe it should be a reference for a black film maker, or an example for any young film maker, because it's purely luck.

Euzhan Palcy
In the days when I wasn't being taken seriously, I wore long skirts - very conservative. But now, I dress any way I want to.

Euzhan Palcy
'Sugar Cane Alley' had a lot of international success, big success everywhere.

Euzhan Palcy
- Success