John Sayles

John Sayles (b. September 28, 1950), fiercely independent United States director who frequently takes a small part in his own and other indie films. He funds his films by writing genre films such as The Howling and The Challenge (which usually have more nuance and humor than one might expect), and by working as a script doctor. Some of his more well-known films include Lone Star, The Secret of Roan Inish, and Matewan. One of his earliest films was The Brother From Another Planet, about a black four-toed slave who escapes from another planet and finds himself at home among the people of New York City, largely because he is incapable of speaking. Political concerns are a theme running through most of his work.