Pedro Pascal and Mark Ruffalo Sign Pro-Gaza Letter Condeming the Film Industry.
Meanwhile Gina Carano was fired for alleged anti-semitism.
Pedro Pascal and Mark Ruffalo have signed a letter circulating condemning the film industry for its alleged “silence” over Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.
According to Variety, the letter “urged cinema — which it said was a ‘breeding ground for socially committed works” — to use its art form to “draw lessons from history, to make films that are committed” and to be “present to protect oppressed voices.”
Of course, they have the right to sign that if they want to. But isn’t it interesting that neither of those men were fired for “anti-semitism” and Gina Carano was fired from “Star Wars” over accusations of anti-semitism?
Nothing Carano said was anti-semitic. She simply pointed out the historically accurate fact that people were made to hate their neighbors, so they stood by as they were arrested and taken away.
She voiced concern that current year politics were polarizing people to hate each other based on being red or blue. Carano never took sides in her comment.
Here is what Carano said,
“Because history is edited, most people today don’t realize that to get to the point where Nazi soldiers could easily round up thousands of Jews, the government first made their own neighbors hate them simply for being Jews. How is that any different from hating someone for their political views?”
Now, Carano is suing Disney for her dismissal and insinuating she was “abhorrent.” It does not help Disney’s case when Pedro Pascal is being put into both Star Wars and Marvel, is publicly acting in ways the company previously found “abhorrent,” while calling out the film industry that includes the Walt Disney Company.
What did the letter say?
The letter, which is longer than this excerpt, targets Israel, the film industry, “far right, fascism, colonialism, anti-trans and LGBTQIA+, islamophobic and antisemitic movements” (Yeah the last two don’t make sense together in the context of the letter’s poing, but here is what some of it says.)
We are ashamed of such passivity.
Why is it that cinema, a breeding ground for socially committed works, seems to be so indifferent to the horror of reality and the oppression suffered by our sisters and brothers?
As artists and cultural players, we cannot remain silent while genocide is taking place in Gaza and this unspeakable news is hitting our communities hard.
What is the point of our professions if not to draw lessons from history, to make films that are committed, if we are not present to protect oppressed voices?
Why this silence?
The far right, fascism, colonialism, anti-trans and anti-LGBTQIA+, sexist, racist, islamophobic and antisemitic movements are waging their battle on the battlefield of ideas, attacking publishing, cinema and universities, and that’s why we have a duty to fight.
The entire letter is posted on Variety.
Again, if Pascal and Ruffalo have the right to sign this letter, why didn’t Gina Carano have the right to point out that political polarization could create a similar situation faced in Nazi Germany?
That is the question.