Giancarlo Esposito says it’s “time for revolution” in the United States, as political tensions rise over the actions of ICE agents in Minneapolis.
“This is a time of revolution, and they don’t even realize it’s their beginning,” the actor told Variety at the Sundance Film Festival on Tuesday night. “We have to stand up to it. They can’t defeat us all. If the whole world shows up on Putin’s doorstep, or the Iranians’ doorstep, or in Washington, they will kill 500 million or 50 million or more (many). But the rest of us will survive with the new (world).”
Esposito’s comments were made at the Sundance premiere of his new crime thriller, The Only Living Pickpocket in New York. This premiere is one of the final premieres of the festival’s final year in Park City. The narrative surrounding this event has been defined by the political atmosphere associated with the Trump administration’s mass deportations in Minneapolis and other parts of the country. Civil rights and legal advocacy groups have raised concerns about federal enforcement tactics, including excessive use of force and possible constitutional violations. On the other hand, some conservative voices attribute the cause of the unrest to suspicions of incitement by left-wing groups.
“Some very wealthy old white men are using their power to oppress their own people, creating an atmosphere of civil war in the streets, preparing their haters to hate, and teaching them how to shoot guns,” Esposito said. “This is all preparation for a very insidious problem that is happening in our world. And for me, I have to speak out. We will not be removed from ICE. This will not happen.”
Many celebrities, including Esposito’s “The Only Pickpocket in New York” co-star Tatiana Maslany, wore “ICE Out” pins during press lines, studio shoots and other media appearances. Mr. Maslany wore two pins, the second representing a “truce artist.”
“Genocide is still happening in Gaza,” she told Variety. “And as much as there is a Trump peace plan, Israel continues to kill Gazans and Palestinians.”
“It feels like the lid has been blown off. I think for the first time a lot of people realized that they can’t separate themselves from the people who are affected by this, because this affects everyone,” she continued.
Sundance was founded by Robert Redford in 1981 as a haven for independent thought and artist-driven storytelling outside the studio system. Esposito, who first met Robert and Amy Redford at the Sundance Institute research lab in Provo Canyon in the late 1990s, said the late actor didn’t speak truth to power as much as he modeled.
“Bob was more nuanced than that, empowering people through his actions,” Esposito explained. He wasn’t interested in the ego of telling you how he feels about something because he knows himself so well. He was interested in the process of independent film, how to develop your own voice. Is this what you say your voice should sound like?For me, it’s empowerment through action. ”
