my guest today is american filmmaker and screenwriter dustin lance black, who won an oscar for the filmk and has just completed a major series on the struggle for gay rights. has the time come to declare a famous victory? dustin lance black, welcome to hardtalk. thank you. thank you for having me. to what extent do you think that your experiences from childhood to now as a gay person have come to define your creative output? oh, boy. it's one of the many things about me that does define me creatively. certainly, when i'm teaching my students — because i teach some classes in screenwriting sometimes — and i say to them, tell me about you, what is it about you that's unique, where do you come from, what are you interested in, tell me about your parents, your background, these are the things that make you incredibly unique. and those things that make you unique could actually make you marketable in the competitive film business, because they give you that unique voice. i always encourage them to look for their own voice, and look for the core of who you are, because it can make you marketa

news, it's hardtalk and another chance to see stephen sackur‘s interview with the screenwriter dustin lance black