Don’t Ask ‘Jet-Lagged, Drunk Artists’

Ethan Hawke weighed in on the current political debate at this year’s Berlin Film Festival, pointing out that “jet-lagged, drunk artists” may not be the best people to look to for guidance.

During the press conference for his new historical drama “The Weight,” the Oscar-nominated actor was asked his position on the responsibility of big names to speak out on topics like fascism. He took a moment to contemplate the question before saying: “Alright… the last place you probably want to look for advice in your spiritual counsel is a bunch of jet-lagged, drunk artists talking about their films.”

After laughter and applause from the room, Hawke added, “I believe in the power of cinema to affect… you know how every night we all dream and those dreams kind of heal us and get us ready for the next day? I feel like, collectively, the whole festival — all of you, all of us here — are responsible for creating an international dream life. What is it? What are our dreams? What are we talking about? What are we thinking about?”

He said one of the reasons he loves “The Weight” is because “at it’s core, it’s about a group of people who don’t think they have anything in common who band together to fight institutional greed and malevolence. And that’s worth fighting for.”

However, Hawke concluded his answer with a more direct answer to the reporter’s question: “Anything that fights fascism, I’m all for it.”

Politics are always a hot-button topic at the Berlinale, but have been even more so this year after jury president Wim Wenders and several celebrities, including Michelle Yeoh and Neil Patrick Harris, avoided answering questions about Gaza, ICE raids in the U.S. and the general rise of far-right politics around the world. In response, on Tuesday an open letter was sent to the Berlinale from over 80 current or former participants of the festival — including Tilda Swinton, Javier Bardem and Adam McKay — criticizing its “silence” on the conflict in Gaza.

Later in the press conference, Hawke was pressed on politics once again, with a reporter citing the open letter and asking about his stance on Gaza.

“The last time I spoke publicly about any of this, I was really shocked about how much animosity it was met with,” Hawke said candidly. “You know, people saying, ‘Actors shouldn’t talk about politics’ and things like that. And I really feel like the answer is the absolute inverse, that everybody should be — we’re all citizens of the world and all of us matter, all of us have a voice and everybody’s welcome to disagree. That’s part of the benefit of living in a free society.”

Hawke said that celebrities tend to “get microphones thrown in front of our faces, but it’s not because we’re telling people what to do.”

“We’re just sharing art,” he said. “We’re not some of the greatest minds in the world that try to make the planet live in peace.” But he added that it should be a priority of every adult to “take care of all the children” and “the young people in our lives, and make sure they have a good world.”

He ended his response by addressing the journalist directly. “I feel like there’s a slight agenda to your question that’s different from my agenda,” Hawke said. “But I respect you and I respect the question.”

Hawke stars in Padraic McKinley’s “The Weight,” which has its European premiere as a Special Gala on Tuesday night, alongside Russell Crowe. Though Crowe was not at the press conference, Hawke was joined by his director and cast members Julia Jones, Austin Amelio, Avi Nash, Lucas Lynggaard Tønnesen and Sam Hazeldine.

“The Weight,” which world premiered at Sundance Film Festival last month, follows “a group of desperate convicts on a journey through a physically and morally treacherous backcountry,” according to its synopsis. “Ethan Hawke gives a muscular performance as the film’s reluctant but resourceful hero, while Russell Crowe is quietly menacing as his foil. Julia Jones brings dignity and defiance to her role as Anna, the sole woman in the group.”

Berlin has long been a festival home for Hawke, who premiered all three of Richard Linklater’s “Before” films there. Last year, the duo debuted Lorenz Hart biopic “Blue Moon” in competition, which went on to earn Hawke best actor nominations at the Oscars, BAFTAs, Golden Globes and SAG Actor Awards.