Actor George Clooney warned about political divisions Wednesday at the Venice Film Festival, lamenting that leaders are “telling us to fear one another.”
\n\nClooney delivered his speech, which did not name any specific public figures, when accepting the Golden Lion for Lifetime Achievement.
\n\n“Stories are always dangerous to people who peddle in fear,” he said.
\n\nAfter reflecting upon his lengthy career, Clooney pivoted toward the current age of divisions.
\n\n“We’re living through a moment in time where the people in charge and people with the most money are telling us to fear one another,” the ER star said. “But we know better than that, don’t we? Because history does teach us a lesson.”
\n\n“The first people that authoritarians try to shut down are not politicians. They’re journalists who ask questions, they’re the artists who refuse simple answers, the filmmakers, writers, actors and musicians who insist that someone you never met is deserving of your empathy,” he added.
\n\nWhile Clooney acknowledged that movies “don’t stop wars,” he emphasized that they increase empathy.
\n\n“Stories are always dangerous to people who peddle in fear,” he said. “The people who are afraid of books and music and stories are never the heroes in history.”
Original source: https://www.breitbart.com/entertainment/
