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'These Women Will Show You A Side Of New York You've Never Seen Before': Director Crystal Moselle On HBO's 'Betty'

(CBS Local)-- Director Crystal Moselle has lived in New York for a long time and her new HBO series "Betty" will show New Yorkers parts of the city they may have never seen.

Moselle wrote and directed a series called "Betty," about a group of diverse young women navigating the male-dominated world of skateboarding. The director learned a lot from these women and believes viewers will be intrigued by their stories.

"I was originally drawn to the women as characters," said Moselle in an interview with CBS Local's DJ Sixsmith. "I saw them on the train and they intrigued me. I was originally going to do a documentary and then I got an opportunity to make a short film. One of the things they told me when I first met with them was how intimidating it can be for a woman to walk into a skate park. I think that can be said for many different professions. It's a microcosm for many bigger things, including directing. I felt them and was inspired by their love for women and how much space they were giving women."

New York is an important character is this show and in Moselle's story. She was ready to leave New York for good before meeting these skateboarders.

"When I met them, I realized they saw New York in a completely different way," said Moselle. "When anyone says New York is dead, I say you don't hang out with enough teenagers. They will show you a side of New York you've never seen before. They're down low on the street and the way that things flow is really beautiful."

"Betty" premieres Friday, May 1 on HBO. Watch all of DJ Sixsmith's interviews from "The Sit-Down" series here.

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