Cinemaethan Hawke at Berlinale: ‘When we prioritize money, what we get is generic material’

This Tuesday, February 18the actor Ethan Hawke and the director Richard Linklater participated in a press conference in the Berlin Festival to talk about Blue Moonnew movie that marks the ninth collaboration between the two. During the event, Hawke criticized the excessive influence of money on artistic production and defended the importance of provocative works in film.

“The public needs to care. If not sell, it doesn’t happen. When we prioritize money at any cost, what we get is a generic material that tries to please the largest number of people and tell us that this is the best,” said Hawke.

If you love offensive art and want it, require. At the moment, people think they won’t profit from it, so they don’t produce.

During the press conference, Richard Linklater It reinforced the idea that turbulent periods generate more provocative works. “Offensive times generate offensive art, perhaps. But the movies have always been a form of escapism, and in our movie, Hart criticizes Oklahoma! For being escapist amid the horrors of World War II,” said the director. He also pointed out that there are fewer provocative productions today than in other times.

Blue Moon

Directed by Richard Linklater, Blue Moon accompanies the last days of Lorenz Hart (played by Hawke), lyricist of the famous duo Rodgers & Hartwho faced problems with alcoholism and depression. The plot takes place on March 31, 1943, on the debut night of the musical Oklahoma!first work of Richard Rodgers with Oscar Hammerstein IIwhich would mark a new phase in Broadway. The film explores Hart’s frustration when seeing the success of a spectacle he considered excessively optimistic.

In the cast, Andrew Scott interpret Rodgerswhile Margaret Qualley assumes the role of Elizabeth Weiland and Bobby Cannavale interprets the bartender Eddie.

The partnership between Linklater and Hawke

Blue Moon marks the first collaboration of Hawke and LINKLATER in over a decade, since Boyhood (2014). The two have already worked together in films such as The Trilogy Before dawn, Before sunset and Before midnightin addition to The Newton Boys and Fast food nation. According to Hawke, the director wanted to produce the feature 12 yearsbut decided to wait until the actor was “less attractive” to play Hart. “He said, ‘Let’s put it in the drawer and, every few years, read again to see if we’re ready’,” remembered Hawke.

The debut of Blue Moon It happens this Tuesday in Berlin Festivalwhich follows until the day February 23.