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Oscars set to be most political ever in protest against Trump
IT’S set to be the most political Oscars ever as A-listers line up to attack Donald Trump.
Academy Award winners are being given an open microphone to speak about politics – as long as they keep it under 46 seconds. Messages from the stage at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles will be seen on Sunday by at least 40 million US TV viewers – plus millions more around the world. Lead producer Michael De Luca admitted that the heated segments on politics will make this year’s ceremony “memorable”. And film academy president Cheryl Boone Isaacs insisted that the organisation supports artists and freedom of expression. “There is a struggle globally today over artistic freedom that feels more urgent than at any time since the 1950s,” she said. On Friday, Hollywood heavyweights Jodie Foster, 54, and Michael J Fox, 55, led an anti-trump protest in LA.
The United Voices rally was staged by Hollywood’s United Talent Agency instead of its usual pre-oscars party.
Jodie, who has won Oscars for The Silence of the Lambs and The Accused, said she rarely spoke out in public but it was now “time to show up”.
She added: “This year is a singular time in history. It’s time to engage.”
Her passionate speech was met with huge cheers as 1,200 protesters congregated outside the agency’s headquarters in Beverly Hills. Back to the Future star Michael told the crowd “we are the lucky ones” and that he wanted to “share a bit of that luck” with refugees who want to enter the US.
He said: “I consider myself an optimist and that can be a tall order at times as I see a growing intolerance and lack of compassion and empathy in the world around us.”
Trump, 70, has previously been dismissive of celebrity protests and stars who have criticised him, such as Meryl Streep, who blasted him at the Golden Globes ceremony last month.
The rally was also shown a video message from Oscarnominated Iranian film director Asghar Farhadi.
He has said he is staying away from the ceremony following the President’s attempt to ban travel from Iran and six other mainly Muslim countries.
All of the nominees for best foreign language film, including Farhadi, issued a joint statement denouncing America’s current “climate of fanaticism and nationalism”.