[on the lack of racial diversity in studio films] It has to be called out. When the studios say, "I don't where to find black filmmakers", there are film festivals for people of color every year. Hundreds of black films come out and don't get any distribution from studios. They can't claim ignorance.

There was a little disappointment last year because people here in New Orleans wanted the New Orleans version of The Wire (2002). But what's so different about _Treme_ is that it's trying really hard to capture culture, and show the impact culture has on people's lives. Culture is the intersection of people and life itself. It's how we deal with life, love, death, birth, disappointment... all of that is expressed in culture. And we've lost that understanding in America. We don't understand the role of culture. The role of culture is that it's the form through which we as a society reflect on who we are, where we've been, where we hope to be. It's like the way thoughts are to the individual, but on a bigger scale. We only see the residual of it, the entertainment. "All right, perform, and entertain me." Entertainment is just a residual of culture. It is not the sole purpose of it. The sole purpose is that we kind of reflect on what the hell we're doing here, and how this thing of ours is going.

The great thing about shooting [The Wire (2002)] in Baltimore was we were each other's best company. We worked hard, long hours, but we partied hard, too, man. One bar made the mistake of having celebrity-bartender night. It happened one time, and one time only! That's all I need to say!

The Wire (2002) really is an American classic, and I think that's something to be very proud of. If you see me on the street, feel free for the rest of my life to call me Bunk.