Well, what is a political film? A film about politicians? Or a film about issues — sexism, racism, the environment, nuclear policy? I decided on the broader definition. If I'd limited myself to films about politicians, it would have been a short list: How many characters in any mainstream American movie seem aware of the political process, or belong to a party?
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Ranking "the 20 best political films of the past two decades" in "The Big Picture: Roger Ebert" in MotherJones (May/June 1996)Roger Ebert
It was very personal. Political comes from the viewing process. Nothing is ever political if it's genuine. In the reaction, yes, it can be political. But the motives were based completely on a deep need to communicate and share information. The film language has evolved enough that you should get people interacting with the film. It's exciting for us to exhibit it, and it's exciting for people to watch it...I think it's very important for the gay community to have random characters that represent nothing more than people...I think it's part of a wave that will set a precedent of some sort so that you will no longer need a label.
River Phoenix
How do I pick a role? Well, primarily I think I would like to be part of a film that's progressive as well as entertaining, you know? Because in India we have a huge amount of audience that is not educated, and they really look up to films... So I think it's important to do a film... that's entertaining but has a message. And after that I'd like to do films that are different for me -- if I'm doing a love story then I want to do a war film, if I'm doing a war film then I want to do a story about an un-wed mother. I think variety is the spice of life.
Preity Zinta
Mainstream films have occupied Hollywood but you can get bored very easily. It can be very repetitive and I think now we want something fresh and something inspiring and different, daring. The mainstream film is very expensive to make and it scares people. It's made for the worldwide audience, you have to please so many people, and the business men start running the movies rather than artists. This is back to the oldest way of Hollywood filmmaking, creating a fantasy, but it has been lost. It seems to take a foreign language film to recoup that ultimate movie viewing experience.
Ang Lee
i just realized that i hadn't posted about the film "An Inconvenient Truth." for those of you who don't know, this movie talks about global warming. i went into the movie a little skeptical, wondering if i was going to be preached at by al gore, the narrator and spokesperson for the film. it's a documentary, too, so i wasn't expecting anything too exciting. as it turns out, this movie is a must-see. it's not about al gore, tree-hugging hippies, george clooney, julia roberts, george bush, or U.S. issues. this film and the movement surrounding it is about being aware of the nasty turn our world and weather seems to be taking, and what we can do to turn it around before we ruin the only pace we have to live. the information in this film is shocking. parts of our planet that i assumed were covered in ice are now melting, and the photos of these places, seen in the movie, make me nervous. the links from this past year's natural disasters to the overall direction of global warming is an issue that is worth looking at. the ten hottest years ever measured were in the last 14 years. the hottest was last year, but it doesn't take a genius to tell that this year is hotter.
Mike Shinoda
I am here to act, entertain and make good films. I don't want to work hard for a film which does not even get released. I will cooperate with my director and help him make a good film. I get disappointed if my co-actors don't put in as much as I do. Today I am looking for banners and costars who have the same goal as me --- to work towards making a good film with dedication. I have made mistakes in my career, but that is just the learning process.
Rani Mukerji
Ebert, Roger
Ebner-Eschenbach, Marie von
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