Tom Morello discussed the inherently political nature of his directorial debut “The Ballad of Judas Priest” at its Berlin Film Festival press conference, saying that the band is a model for “how we all can do better.”
When asked to weigh in on the conversation surrounding politics at this year’s Berlinale, Morello said: “What a time to be alive, where you can both make a documentary about one of your favorite bands and fight fascism at the same time.”
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After the room erupted in applause, he continued: “The band’s existence is very political. When I’ve seen Judas Priest over the last decade or so in Los Angeles, the audience is maybe more than 50% Latino, it’s a lot of gay couples. Nothing that has anything to do with any of the stereotypical — yes, there are some older dudes like myself in leather jackets probably bringing their kids to the show — but that community and the unity and the harmony that exists at a Judas Priest show, is in some ways a model for how we all can do better.”
The Rage Against the Machine guitarist and political activist is at the Berlinale for the world premiere of the doc, which he co-directed with Sam Dunn. Following the heavy metal pioneers from their working-class origins in England’s Black Country to their recent Rock & Roll Hall of Fame induction, the doc “dives deep into vocalist Rob Halford’s long struggle as a closeted gay man in heavy metal, and explores the ‘culture war’ surrounding the band’s controversial, high-profile trial during the Satanic panic of the 1980s,” according to its synopsis.
Halford was also on hand at the press conference, and added that he can’t help “seeing things in the world that affect me that get me pissed off and thinking, ‘Is there a way that I can put this in a song?’ And I’ve been doing that forever.”
He continued, “On the last album, I’m not going to say his name but I talk about that person,” likely referring to U.S. President Donald Trump. “I really have to temper myself, because as I’ve gotten older, I’ve gotten angrier with the world. I’ve gotten angrier with the injustice, particularly for my own people [the LGBTQ+ community], who are still suffering and not given the human rights that they absolutely deserve.”
Morello is famously politically outspoken and has been active in speaking out against the war in Gaza. In May 2021, he signed a boycott of performances in Israel and has openly called for a ceasefire. He has also recently participated in protests against ICE raids in Minneapolis, Minnesota and the deaths of U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti, holding a “Defend Minnesota” benefit concert last month that included a surprise appearance from Bruce Springsteen.
The Berlin Film Festival has never been a stranger to politics, but this year’s edition has made headlines due to stars’ avoidance of the topic. At the jury press conference that kicked off the festival, president Wim Wenders said artists should “stay out of politics” and celebrities including Michelle Yeoh and Neil Patrick Harris have declined to comment on current events in the U.S., causing social media backlash.
Late Saturday night, festival chief Tricia Tuttle responded to the outcry in a statement, saying in part: “Artists are free to exercise their right of free speech in whatever way they choose. Artists should not be expected to comment on all broader debates about a festival’s previous or current practices over which they have no control. Nor should they be expected to speak on every political issue raised to them unless they want to.”
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