by Laura Zangarini
The Ukrainian leader is said to be in talks about a video appearance during the ceremony. But not everyone agrees on the politicization of the evening
If the President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy is not invited or allowed to speak at the Oscars, I hope there will be a boycott and the ceremony will be abandoned. That’s what actor and director Sean Penn said on CNN. The Oscar winner, who was in Kyiv for a documentary when Russia launched the offensive against Ukraine, has activated his humanitarian foundation, which will help refugees in Poland. Ukraine is the spearhead of the struggle for the dreams of democracy. If we let them fight alone, we’ll lose our souls like America, Penn said. Rumor has it that negotiations are under way for the Ukrainian leader to intervene. ABC, which broadcast the ceremony, said it supported the Ukrainian president’s attendance. But not everyone is convinced that they fear the evening will become politicized.
After all, it wouldn’t be the first time political news has appeared during Oscar night. In 1944, with World War II ending and Nazi Europe now encircled by the Allies, Casablanca won the statuette for Best Film. A situation that today, in 2022, no one thought they would have to relive, albeit on a different scale, with the Russian invasion. Oscars night will shine a spotlight on this tragedy, and from Los Angeles antiwar calls, perhaps even harsh attacks on Russian President Vladimir Putin, will ricochet into homes around the world.
According to the New York Post, Zelensky is said to be in talks with the Academy to make a video appearance during the show, though whether it’s live or in a recorded message is unclear. On the other hand, Hollywood is not reusing the most anticipated gala evening in world cinema to draw attention to the most important and sensitive issues. There are many actors, directors and screenwriters who have taken to the stage to collect the statuette and have launched calls over the years, particularly against racism, against banks and multinationals, for women’s, gay and minority rights.
In recent years, the focus has been on the environment: global warming is an issue that many stars have taken to heart and that they are not just fighting with words. A custom that has only become a tradition in recent years, when the ceremony was once more plastered and only the big stars allowed themselves to break protocol. Among the first was Marlon Brando, who sent Indian human rights activist Sacheen Littlefeather to collect his award for The Godfather. Jane Fonda spoke out against the Vietnam War in the 1970s. In 1993, Richard Gere gave a famous proTibet and antiChina speech. Among others, Michel Moore spoke about Iraq by receiving his Oscar for bowling in Columbine in 2003, and Sean Penn sided with gay marriage by receiving the Oscar for milk. The Covid clamp has changed many things in the world, cinema has suffered like and more than many other sectors and this year it returns to celebrate its idols and to celebrate itself at the Dolby Theater at the Hollywood & Highland Center. But the war in Ukraine broke out anyway on the world’s most glamorous stage.
March 27, 2022 (change March 27, 2022 | 11:47)
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