"Film found me": Spike Lee accepts honorary Oscar

Photo: Seth Kushner

"I don't say 'I found film.' Film found me," so said the great filmmaker (and Wexner Prize recipient) Spike Lee as he received an honorary Oscar–while decked out in his Oscar-edition Air Jordans–this past weekend at the 2015 Governors Awards.

The long-overdue recognition–he had only been nominated twice before, for his era-defining Do the Right Thing and powerful documentary 4 Little Girls–was prefaced with remarks from Lee mainstays such as Samuel L. Jackson, Wesley Snipes, and Denzel Washington, and led to a rousing, hugely enjoyable 18-minute long acceptance speech. From talking about his forays into film to meeting his wife and starting a family to the need for more diversity in front of and behind the camera, it's a winding, free-flowing speech that in some ways mirrors some of Lee's best work–a multitude of topics approached, dissected, discussed and looped back around into a pointed and compelling conclusion, all done with verve and style. It's a much deserved accolade for one of cinema's most distinct and original voices.

You can watch the remarks in their entirety below.