Sundance filmmakers, stars react to ICE chaos in Minnesota: ‘We cannot act like this is not happening’
PARK CITY, Utah — While filmmakers celebrated independent filmmaking at the Sundance Film Festival, national events cast a shadow over the indie show’s final installment in Park City.
More than a thousand miles away from the mountain town, an ongoing ICE crackdown in Minneapolis culminated in the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti by federal agents Saturday morning.
“It’s all at once remarkable and disturbing,” director Alex Gibney told The Times of “The Blade: The Attempted Murder of Salman Rushdie” at Sundance on Saturday afternoon. “I mean, the great thing about this is that you have evidence. You have evidence that shows the truth that this type of state-sponsored terrorism is being used against Americans.”
On January 7, Renee Nicole Good was shot and killed by an ICE officer in Minneapolis. Images of both Pretti’s and Good’s deaths were widely circulated on social media and in the news, sparking protests.
“These are not normal times,” actor Edward Norton said in an interview with The Times on Sunday morning. “It’s as if extrajudicial attacks on Americans and people continue every day. And that’s not right. While all people have to kind of put one foot in front of the other and deal with the demands of the day, we can’t pretend it’s not happening.”
Norton is one of the stars of “The Invite,” which premiered at Sundance on Saturday night.
“I think what they did with the strike in Minnesota needs to be expanded,” he continued. “I think we should be talking about a national general economic strike until this is over.”
At noon Sunday, a small group of anti-ICE protesters briefly marched down Main Street holding signs, urging people lined up to buy Sundance merchandise to come out and join them.
Some filmmakers hoped the festival would provide an escape from distracting reality.
“I think there’s a great tradition of storytelling over the centuries that has helped people get through tough times,” said director and star Olivia Wilde, here with both a new directorial effort, “The Invite,” and Gregg Araki’s “I Want Your Sex.” “I hope it felt good to let people laugh last night. But, you know, we recognize that Americans are bravely marching in the streets right now. It’s devastating.”
Margaret Cho, one of the stars of “Run Amok,” a coming-of-age drama film featuring gun violence, called the pain the public witnessed “incomprehensible.”
“Children are being detained and we are watching this,” Cho said in an interview with The Times on Sunday. “We’re watching people get killed in the street. So I think the important thing is that we can solve that through art. And this movie is a perfect example of trying to heal through art.”
Meanwhile, some stars visibly supported the protesters. Wilde wore an “ICE Out” pin and a “Be Good” pin (in reference to Renee Good) at the premiere of “The Invite” on Sunday morning. Natalie Portman was also spotted wearing both Sundance badges while in town for the premiere of her new art world satire “The Gallerist.”
“In one small way, getting pins doesn’t do anything, but at least we can show support,” Wilde said.
At the premiere of his new movie “Zi,” mononymous director Kogonada acknowledged the events in Minnesota while introducing the film, and the crowd applauded enthusiastically.
“What do I believe in? [Roger] Ebert says cinema is an empathy machine, and in the darkest of times you hope that art doesn’t feel indulgent, that it deepens our sense of humanity and our human emotions,” Kogonada said. “I feel like it’s more important than ever to do that, to confront what’s going on in the world and create the empathy that we really desperately need.”
Staff writer Samantha Masunaga contributed to this report.
