With so much talk of big, beautiful walls whipping Western democracies into a xenophobic frenzy, it may be instructive to look back on the last time someone had such a bird-brained idea for a sense of how all this will all eventually fail. And that’s exactly what Diego Luna and a group of fellow artists did earlier this week when they to a break from the Berlin Film Festival for an act of symbolic protest.
As you can probably guess, the small group of illustrious actors and filmmakers took to a remnant of the Berlin Wall to lock arms and make a forceful statement on the state of US politics, while showing solidarity with the millions of immigrants who find themselves vulnerable under the new administration. While the protest included cultural heavy-hitters like festival director Dieter Kosslick and actor Daniel Brühl, the media understandably turned to Luna for some insight into the gathering.
Speaking to international media, the newly minted Captain Cassian Andor spoke to the importance of supporting those resisting Trump’s agenda within the United States, and the need for artists to raise their voices as citizens regardless of their profession. “I think the world is becoming political,” he said regarding the politically charged atmosphere of this year’s festival. “The world is asking you to have an opinion and to get involved… so as citizens of this world we have to worry, and I am so glad that the Berlinale is reminding us that.”
Check out the full video from El País here.