Beeban Kidron

“Girls from poor families of the 'untouchable,' or lower, caste are 'married' to Yellamma as young as four. No longer allowed to marry a mortal, they are expected to bestow their entire lives to the service of the goddess.”

“The film that changed my life is a 1951 film by Vittorio De Sica, 'Miracle in Milan.' It's a remarkable comment on slums, poverty and aspiration.”

“I've discovered my Jewishness late in life. And I've really enjoyed exploring that world.”

“I often go out on the street with my camera and ask questions.”

“I'm in the communications business.”

“From the moment I went to Hollywood for the first time, I was accused by various people of selling out. So I feel I've done my sell-out films already. I've sold everything! I've sold every piece of soul I ever had!”

“What is the point of teaching how to analyse a poem or a piece of Shakespeare but not to analyse the Internet?”

“I hate it when everybody thinks I'm a... what's the word, a marauding mother! It's bigger than that.”

“If you look where kids are spending time on the Net, they may have all the information in the world, but they're not accessing it.”

“I once gave a talk at a girls' school and, once I'd finished, 29 out of the 30 girls wanted to be film directors. I think that's where we need to get girls interested in making films. We need to give them the idea that they can, that it's one of the things on their horizon.”

“This is a culture filled with perfect images of women and perfect images of movie actresses, and most people can't live up to them.”

“Each January, nearly half a million people visit the small town of Saundatti for ajatre or festival, to be blessed by Yellamma, the Hindu goddess of fertility.”

“Sometimes you have to put back in the community.”

“The idea of the Internet as sort of open and democratic and free and with no hierarchy, the libertarian beginnings as it were, with peer-to-peer networks... I'd sort of like for everyone to just admit that we're beyond that now.”

“I like the accidental nature of being in the real world.”

“Make films whenever and however you can - don't take no for an answer.”