Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged filmmakers to support Ukraine. Zelensky recalled his own experience as an actor, urging his colleagues to “break the fourth wall” by addressing their fans directly.
Zelensky said via a video link – whose events in the early days of the crisis were recounted a year ago in a documentary film by director and actor Sean Penn entitled “Superpower”, which is shown at the festival today, Friday – that art can choose to take a stand or remain neutral.
Among the high-profile audience were director Steven Spielberg, singer Bono, and actresses Fan Bingbing and Anne Hathaway, who was one of many who tried to hold back tears at Zelensky’s speech.
Hathaway hailed Zelensky as “a hero of our time”.
In its seventy-third edition, 19 films from all over the world, from Mexico in the west to Australia in the east, are competing in the festival to win the Golden Bear award, which is awarded by a jury chaired this year by American actress Kristen Stewart. The organizers focus this year on the crisis in Ukraine, in addition to other issues.
Source: Reuters
