Mortensen shows support for Ukraine at Glasgow festival premiere

Viggo Mortensen had a message of support for Ukraine as he arrived in Glasgow for the UK premiere of his new film.

The Lord Of The Rings star wore the Ukrainian trident symbol, the country’s coat of arms, on his shirt as he walked on to the red carpet of the Glasgow Film Festival.

He was joined by Orkney actor Solly Mcleod, who costars in The Dead Don’t Hurt.

Described as a moving, romantic Western, it is set in the 1860s, with Mortensen a Danish immigrant, Holger Olsen, who becomes involved with fiercely independent Vivienne Le Coudy (Vicky Krieps).

On the red carpet, Mortensen was asked if he wanted to send a message to people in Ukraine. He said: “We support them against Russian aggression, against people who condone it. In Russia, but especially outside of Russia.”

As well as star, morten s en ,65, is director, producer, and composer of The Dead Don’t Hurt. He said much of the film was composed and recorded before they started shooting, saying: “It helps me find the rhythm and know how long the scene should last in some cases, and what the mood we hope to get across is.” The film has been “years of work”, Mortensen said, adding that he had grown up around Westerns and horse riding.

Most Westerns are “predictable and naive, but every once in a while there’s a really good story,” he said. Viewers might notice a prop which appeared in the trilogy which led to international fame for the US actor. A dream sequence shows a medieval knight holding a sword – it is Anduril, the reforged weapon wielded by Mortensen’s character Aragorn in The Lord Of The Rings.

Mortensen said: “I couldn’t think of a better sword than that one. So I asked Peter Jackson and the film company that made The Lord Of The Rings if I could have permission. He said ‘What are you doing with it, how important [is it]?’ I said, you’ll be lucky if you even notice it, which is true.”

He said his mother’s side of his family had links to Scotland and he was happy to be in Glasgow. Mortensen was presented with the festival’s inaugural Cinema City Honorary Award in recognition of his outstanding contribution to cinema.