I grew up in Siena and was surrounded by the Palio, and all my friends at school were obsessed with it. But since my parents are English, I was never quite part of it.

I studied anthropology and art history, as I have always been captivated by living traditions.

The Palio is shrouded in mystery and secrecy, and the players can't discuss their devious schemes.

Paradoxically, in the field being a woman actually helps you: people often feel more comfortable talking to women, which is key in documentaries.

Documentaries are unpredictable. You never know what will turn up, and the drama occurs in real time. But if you listen to people, a narrative always emerges.

Believing, too, that is not enough. You cannot just believe. Your belief must have a purpose.

You're gonna sit down. You're gonna shut up. And by the grace of God Almighty, I ain't gonna kill you.

If you want to reap financial blessings, you have to sow financially.

Say not that honor is the child of boldness, nor believe thou that the hazard of life alone can pay the price of it: it is not to the action that it is due, but to the manner of performing it.

I won't ever shy away from a fight and if it makes sense down the road, I'll do it. But it will be on my terms.

I think that the churches do a better job in many respects than the government does in various kinds of things. Extending aid, the helpfulness, and so on, yes.

I'm weird. Everyone says so.

Conflict in close relationships is not only inevitable, it's essential. Intimacy connects people who are inevitably different.

Jesus will press his thumb against the cheek of humanity and wipe away all tears.

...people have always known, at least since Moses denounced the Golden Calf, that images were dangerous, that they can captivate the onlooker and steal the soul.