---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: With 'Sweetback,' I just put it together…"
description: "\"With 'Sweetback,' I just put it together a little bit at a time. I didn't do it on anybody's grant. I did it like any other young executive - by cheati..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f0/melvin-van-peebles-8573_cheating_with-sweetback-i-just-put-it-together-a_859697.jpg"
---

#  With 'Sweetback,' I just put it together a little bit at a…

![“With 'Sweetback,' I just put it together a little bit at a time. I didn't do it on anybody's grant. I did it like any other young executive - by cheating and stealing!” quote by Melvin Van Peebles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f0/melvin-van-peebles-8573_cheating_with-sweetback-i-just-put-it-together-a_859697.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f0/melvin-van-peebles-8573_cheating_with-sweetback-i-just-put-it-together-a_859697.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/0f0/melvin-van-peebles-8573_cheating_with-sweetback-i-just-put-it-together-a_859697.jpg)

> “With 'Sweetback,' I just put it together a little bit at a time. I didn't do it on anybody's grant. I did it like any other young executive - by cheating and stealing!”

[Melvin Van Peebles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melvin-van-peebles/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

The filmmaker describes his resourceful, unconventional production methods, likening them to cheating and stealing.

**In simple terms:** He made the film using any means necessary.

Key Takeaway

Be resourceful, think outside the box.

Themes

film independence creativity resourcefulness ethics

Mood

determined defiant

Type

motivational controversial

When to use this quote

- low‑budget filmmaking
- creative problem solving
- self‑funded projects

Key Concepts

independent cinema budget constraints artistic integrity

Questions to Reflect On

- What ethical lines are acceptable in art creation?
- How can creators stay innovative without compromising integrity?

A Different Perspective

Ethical concerns about plagiarism or exploitation.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

[Cheating](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cheating/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/)

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## More by Melvin Van Peebles

> [I went to a number of schools when I was a kid on the south side of Chicago.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melvin-van-peebles/i-went-to-a-number-of-schools-when-i-was-a-kid-on-the-south-side-of/)

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[Melvin Van Peebles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melvin-van-peebles/)

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[Jay Leno](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jay-leno/)

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[Teejay David](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/teejay-david/)

> [Cheating is like eating fast food. You do it, you enjoy it, and then you end up feeling like shit.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ritu-ghatourey/cheating-is-like-eating-fast-food-you-do-it-you-enjoy-it-and-then-you/)

[Ritu Ghatourey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ritu-ghatourey/)

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Michael Catherwood

> [If you can't count, they can cheat you. If you can't read, they can beat you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/toni-morrison/if-you-can-t-count-they-can-cheat-you-if-you-can-t-read-they-can-beat/)

[Toni Morrison](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/toni-morrison/)

> [“For me, it´s sloth," I say. "Hedonistic sloth and escapism.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/suzanne-finnamore/for-me-it-s-sloth-i-say-hedonistic-sloth-and-escapism/)

[Suzanne Finnamore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/suzanne-finnamore/)

[Browse all 1,488 Cheating quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/cheating/)

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