Ethan Hawke weighed in on current political debates at this year’s Berlin Film Festival, noting that a “jet-lagged, drunk artist” might not be the best person to ask for guidance.
At a press conference for his new historical drama, The Weight, the Oscar-nominated actor was asked about his stance on the responsibility of big-name actors to speak out on topics such as fascism. He thought about the question for a moment and then said: “Okay…you don’t want to ask for advice on spiritual counseling, you’re looking at a bunch of jet-lagged, drunk artists talking about their movies.”
After laughter and applause from the audience, Hawke added, “I believe in the power of movies to influence…You know that we have dreams every night, and those dreams heal us and prepare us for the next day. I feel that the entire festival, all of us here, have a responsibility to create an international dream life. What is that? What are our dreams? What are we talking about? What are we thinking?”
He said he likes The Weight in part because it’s “essentially a story about a group of people who think they have nothing in common who come together to fight the greed and malice of an organization. And that’s something worth fighting for.”
But Hawk concluded his answer with a more direct answer to a reporter’s question. “Anything that fights fascism, I’m for it.”
Politics is always a big topic at the Berlinale, but it was even more so this year as several celebrities, including jury president Wim Wenders, Michelle Yeoh and Neil Patrick Harris, avoided answering questions about things like Gaza, ICE raids in the US and the rise of far-right politics around the world. In response, on Tuesday more than 80 current or former festival attendees, including Tilda Swinton, Javier Bardem and Adam McKay, sent an open letter to Berlinale criticizing its “silence” on the Gaza conflict.
Later in the press conference, Hawke was again pressed about politics, with reporters citing the open letter and asking about his position on Gaza.
“The last time I spoke publicly about this, I was really shocked by how much hostility I was met with,” Hawke said candidly. “You know, people say things like, ‘Actors shouldn’t talk about politics,’ and I really feel that the answer is quite the opposite and that everyone should be. We’re all citizens of the world, we all matter, we all have a voice, and everyone is welcome to disagree. That’s part of the benefit of living in a free society.”
Hawk said celebrities “tend to have microphones thrown in their faces, but it’s not because we’re telling people what to do.”
“We’re just sharing art,” he said. “We are not the best minds in the world trying to make the planet a peaceful place to live in.” But he added that “taking care of all children” and “taking care of the young people in our lives and making sure they have a good world” should be a priority for all adults.
He finished his response by addressing the journalist directly. “I feel like your question has a slightly different agenda than mine,” Hawk said. “But I respect you, and I respect your questions.”
Hawke stars in Padrick McKinley’s The Weight, which had its European premiere at a special gala on Tuesday night, co-starring Russell Crowe. Crowe did not attend the press conference, but director Hawke and cast members Julia Jones, Austin Amelio, Avi Nash, Lukas Ringgaard Tonnesen, and Sam Hazeldine were in attendance.
The Wait, which had its world premiere at last month’s Sundance Film Festival, follows “a group of desperate prisoners as they journey into the physically and morally dangerous interior,” according to the synopsis. “Ethan Hawke gives a strong performance as the film’s reluctant but resourceful hero, and Russell Crowe is quietly menacing as his foil. Julia Jones brings dignity and defiance to the role of Anna, the only woman in the group.”
Berlin has long been Hawke’s home of film festivals, and he premiered all three of Richard Linklater’s Before films there. Last year, the pair debuted the Lorenz Hart biopic Blue Moon in competition, which went on to earn Hawke nominations for Best Actor at the Oscars, BAFTAs, Golden Globes and SAG Acting Awards.
