Luca Guadagnino on ‘Queer’s’ Ban in Turkey: ‘I’m Going to Fight the Institution Who Wants to Tarnish [Cinema’s ] Inevitable Powers’

As a seasoned movie enthusiast who has navigated through the labyrinth of cinema from the Golden Age to the Digital Era, I find the statements made by Luca Guadagnino and Ali Abbasi at the Marrakech Film Festival to be not only thought-provoking but also deeply relevant in today’s polarized world.

At a press conference during the Marrakech Film Festival on Saturday, director Luca Guadagnino expressed contentment if people choose to download the movie “Queer,” which has been banned in Turkey. The film, featuring Daniel Craig as a gay American expat in 1950s Mexico City, was deemed too provocative by authorities.

Guadagnino stated that the film was prohibited due to concerns it was inciting social unrest. I can’t help but question whether they’ve actually watched the movie, or if their decision is based on assumptions from a brief summary, or perhaps even sensationalized headlines about James Bond becoming gay in some media.

He expressed great delight over how “Quer” serves as a potent symbol that challenges our established values, and he wishes that the movie’s format could spark a potential societal breakdown.

I’m appalled by the world of cinema and the direction it seems to be heading in. It’s left me so stunned that I feel compelled to challenge those who seek to undermine its inherent influence,” stated Guadagnino, sparking a burst of approval from the audience.

Guadagnino, leading the jury at the Marrakech Film Festival, contended that censorship doesn’t hinder viewers from watching the film because they can easily find and download it themselves. “Even if someone in Turkey downloads the movie,” he said, “I am pleased.

In broader terms about his goals as a filmmaker, he stated, “Our main adversary is the taste dictated by the industry.

Guadagnino stated that the challenge we face is combating the restrictive notion of cinema, which seems to be bound by unseen rules or laws. This is the concept that dictates how cinema should be produced for it to function as a commercial product.

Ali Abbasi, who has faced controversy with his movie “The Apprentice” featuring Donald Trump, emphasized the importance for filmmakers to engage audiences with differing perspectives. This Iranian-Danish director, serving on the Marrakech jury alongside Guadagnino, Jacob Elordi, and Andrew Garfield, also noted that societal tastes have shifted significantly since the 1970’s and 80’s, when defying the establishment was commonplace, and films from that time were perceived as unconventional or rebellious.

It’s interesting to note that currently, this style of cinema is perceived as elitist, overly artistic, and disconnected from the average audience. This is essentially what Luca meant by ‘industrial taste,’ catering to the masses.

He expressed the idea that it’s crucial to examine the shift from being against the established order to becoming part of the elite group perceived as controlling the world, and he believes we should all investigate this matter. It’s a task we all share.

Referencing Trump’s potential re-election in the U.S., Abbasi stated, “It can be disheartening to face a series of MAGA victories in America, Argentina, and beyond. It’s simple to criticize and claim, ‘Oh, they are uneducated,’ but at some point, it might be more beneficial if we stopped making such judgments (…). After all, whether we agree with them or not, these people constitute a significant portion of the global population today, and we must engage with them in dialogue.

As a fellow juror in Marrakech, I believe I can express my sentiments similarly to Patricia Arquette: The primary cause of such global occurrences is due to individuals not effectively wielding their power as they should.

Instead of passing the blame onto filmmakers, take accountability within your own family circle. Each one of us needs to step up and accept our individual responsibilities immediately,” she asserted.

The team of judges for the Marrakech Film Festival includes Indian filmmaker Zoya Akhtar, Belgian actress Virginie Efira, Moroccan actor Nadia Kounda, and Argentine director Santiago Mitre.

The festivities began on Friday evening with the debut screening of “The Order,” directed by Australian filmmaker Justin Kurzel, who was joined by his producer Stuart Ford for the presentation.

2024-11-30 18:16

Luca Guadagnino on ‘Queer’s’ Ban in Turkey: ‘I’m Going to Fight the Institution Who Wants to Tarnish [Cinema’s ] Inevitable Powers’

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