Alex Gibney Quotes, born October 23, 1953, in New York City, is an American documentary filmmaker and producer, hailed as one of the most influential documentarians of our time by Esquire in 2010. Known for his investigative storytelling, Gibney’s films, including Enron: The Smartest Guys in the Room (2005), Taxi to the Dark Side (2007, Academy Award winner), and Going Clear: Scientology and the Prison of Belief (2015, Emmy winner), expose corruption, power abuses, and societal failures. His work blends journalism with cinematic narrative, tackling topics from corporate greed to government misconduct. These 15 quotes—sourced from interviews, films, and posts on X—reflect his insights on filmmaking, truth, power, and justice, capturing his incisive and fearless approach.
15 Alex Gibney Quotes
- “Documentaries can embrace contradictions in a way that journalism can’t.” (Interview, BrainyQuote, n.d.)
- “If you go in thinking that you’re smarter than everyone else, you won’t learn very much. If you go in thinking, ‘I’d sure like to understand this better,’ you end up doing precisely that.” (Meltdown, Goodreads, n.d.)
- “I am furious at the way that we have allowed money to subvert our democracy. I am appalled at the way that the U.S., a very wealthy nation, permits and even encourages a level of poverty that other wealthy nations would not even consider.” (Interview, BrainyQuote, n.d.)
- “Early on, I got very nervous—I thought I had taken on the wrong assignment. I remember thinking, ‘You just signed on to make a film about accounting’—that’s like Rule No. 23b in the filmmaker’s handbook: Never make a film about accounting.” (Interview, theysaidso.com, 2023)
- “We live in a world where everyone thinks they do the right thing, so they are entitled to do the wrong thing. So ends can justify the means.” (Interview, BrainyQuote, n.d.)
- “‘Park Avenue: Money, Power and the American Dream’ is an intentionally angry film. How could it not be when the chance of an infant dying is five times greater on the Bronx Park Avenue than on Manhattan’s Park Avenue just across the Harlem River?” (Interview, BrainyQuote, n.d.)
- “I’m not sure why, but I seem to be drawn to stories about abuses of power. But I’m also drawn, not so much to victims’ stories, as stories that tend to show how power works. Because if you don’t understand the criminals, you can’t figure out how to stop the crimes.” (Interview, BrainyQuote, n.d.)
- “People who lie, particularly those who lie really big, can’t do it effectively unless they feel that there’s a righteous power behind what they’re doing.” (Interview, BrainyQuote, n.d.)
- “The sex abuse crisis in the Catholic Church is the result of what police call ‘noble cause corruption,’ the belief that because you are dedicated to doing good, you can do no wrong.” (Interview, AZQuotes, 2016)
- “When we go to war, our politicians will be guided by our popular will. And if we believe that torture ‘got’ bin Laden, then we will be more prone to accept the view that a good ‘end’ can justify brutal ‘means.’” (Interview, BrainyQuote, n.d.)
- “I think a lot of these people who over promise and imagine that they can do things well beyond what anybody else has done so far, they are possessed of a certain delusional quality—a certain kind of narcissistic belief in their own powers.” (Interview, Quotes.net, 2023)
- “No one likes documentaries.” (Interview, AZQuotes, 2016)
- “Dialogue between people of differing views is critical for fostering understanding in a democracy.” (Interview, BrainyQuote, n.d.)
- “I come from a filmmaking tradition and a storytelling background. So somehow I’ve emerged like a mutant who can straddle both worlds.” (Interview, AZQuotes, 2016)
- “Objectivity is dead. There’s no such thing as objectivity. When you’re making a film, a film can’t be objective.” (Interview, MIFF with David Poland, n.d.)
Alex Gibney’s quotes are a searing blend of investigative zeal, moral clarity, and cinematic insight, urging viewers to question power, seek truth, and confront injustice head-on. Which quote fuels your drive to challenge the status quo? Share it below and keep Gibney’s muckraking spirit alive!
Emma Thompson
Hi, I'm Emma Thompson, founder of MyLittleDesire. I share relationship advice, love quotes, and thoughtful gift ideas to help you express your feelings and strengthen your bonds. Let's celebrate love together!
Email – business@mylittledesire.com
