Matthew Heineman

“We as a society need to become healthier.”

“I want to move people to think and ponder the question of their own healthcare. And it doesn't need to be political thinking.”

“Health care has become a political football that is being tossed back and forth by both sides in Washington. And it's divided our country.”

“I fell in love with Mexico. I fell in love with the people.”

“We have this fascination that more is better, and we - what we learned was more isn't better ; that more care can actually hurt you. That fascination with the quick fix is often hurting us. One-third of health-care spending doesn't even improve health care.”

“What Americans desperately need is a way to transition from the current system - which is fragmented and focuses on high-cost, high-tech interventions after illness strikes - to a modern system that delivers coordinated, high-touch, lower-cost, patient-centered care with an emphasis on primary care and prevention.”

“My dad sent me a clipping about the self-defence militias in Mexico. Immediately, when I read it, I knew I wanted to create a parallel story about vigilantes on both sides of the border.”

“I barely speak Spanish.”

“In the Affordable Care Act, Congress provided access to medical care for nearly 30 million uninsured Americans. Access is critically important, but offering access to an already broken system won't provide a lasting cure. We need to ask and answer the underlying question: Access to what?”

“If you're going to see 'City of Ghosts' because you want to understand everything about the Syrian conflict and how to fix it, then it's the wrong film to see.”

“The contrast of ISIL's videos - which proclaim a fully-functioning and prosperous state - with those of RBSS, which captured the dysfunction and violence of everyday life, is shocking. In a sense, it's a war of ideas, a war of propaganda, a war being waged with cameras and computers, not just guns.”

“Too often, we rely on other people - whether it be politicians or institutions - to effect change.”

“For 'City of Ghosts,' I really didn't speak any Arabic. It obviously made it more difficult, but I also found it to be an advantage while shooting. It allowed me to focus on the emotion of the scene as opposed to just chasing dialogue.”

“You can't win a battle against an idea with bombs, with guns, or militarily.”

“My favorite way of making films - and what has allowed me to get key scenes in 'Cartel Land' and 'City of Ghosts' - has been when I've been able to operate alone.”

“I found out I wanted to be a filmmaker almost by accident after graduating from college in 2005.”

“So much of the access that I was able to gain with the Autodefensas was over months, not days.”

“Hospitals should be paid to keep patients out of the hospital, not for signing up more and more patients.”

“In my humble opinion, propaganda is one of the most evil tools humans have used against humans throughout history to justify wars, justify atrocities, justify evil. ISIS has taken it to a new extreme.”

“Just like with America, there are many Americas, and there are many different Mexicos.”