Ethan Hawke, speaking at the Berlinale press conference for Richard Linklater’s Blue Moon, said audiences needed to care about offensive art if they wanted it to keep getting made.
“You guys, the community, has to make it important for offensive art to have a place in our conversation. It has to be cared about,” Hawke said. He plays songwriter Lorenz Hart as he battles with alcoholism and depression on the opening night of Oklaoma! which was co-written by his former creative partner Richard Rodgers.
“When we prioritise money at all costs, what we get is generic material that appeals to the most people and we’re told that’s the best,” the actor went on to say. “Right now, people don’t think they’ll get enough money off it so it doesn’t get made.”
Hawke collaborates with Linklater once again, having starred in several of the filmmaker’s features including 2014’s Boyhood and 2013’s Before Midnight – both of which also premiered at Berlinale.
“I haven’t compromised much at all over the years,” Linklater reflected on his career. “We have no pressure. [Blue Moon] was a low budget film, we do whatever we want.
“The film industry can be an interesting collision between art and commerce, but I’ve largely been spared that over all these years.,” he continued before Hawke chimed in, jokingly “that’s because you’ve never made anything commercial”.
Blue Moon, playing in competition, also stars Maragret Qualley, Andrew Scott and Bobby Cannavale. The music biopic shot last year in Ireland, and is a Detour/Renovo production in association with Wild Atlantic Pictures, Under The Influence and Cinetic Media.
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