I grew up on Long Island, and from as early as I can remember, as far back as first grade, I had two real passions - one of them was putting on plays, and the other was journalism. I was directing plays and editing school papers from first grade on, all the way through college.

Directing plays lacked the immediacy and connection to real world events that journalism offered; journalism lacked the drama, theatricality and subjective storytelling of theater. It wasn't until I had the idea of making a documentary film about the 1992 presidential campaign that these two passions came together in 'The War Room.'

I'm proud of where I'm from. I'm proud of Long Island.

My first job was as a day laborer on the construction of the Long Island Expressway more than 50 years ago.

I discovered the theater when I was in the first grade.

We have to get past this persistent negativity. The negativity has held Rhode Island back for a long time.