Political cinema and W., Oliver Stone’s latest film, monopolized interest during the masterclass delivered by the renowned director, which was held at Stavros Tornes theater on Tuesday, November 18th. Among the people attending the Masterclass were TIFF Director, Despina Mouzaki and TIFF President, Georges Corraface.
Despina Mouzaki introduced Oliver Stone as a director of political films who doesn’t compromise and doesn’t fit in the conservative production system of Hollywood. ‘He created some of most talked about films in the American film history. Even when he chooses to play by the system’s rules, he keeps his revolutionary spirit alive. Art and life share the same purpose for him and politics exists in both’.
‘Bush wanted to make history’, said Oliver Stone. ‘He changed America in a radical way by taking extreme risks just as ancient tyrants did. The consequences this had in my country went far beyond the politics of Nixon or Kennedy. I grew up next to a father who supported Nixon and I ended up supporting Kennedy. These two men were the dipole of my youth. Clinton wasn’t of any interest to me. And then I met Bush. In his 40’s he was a bum who had no job and used to drink and live in his father’s shadow. You have to watch the film to understand why this man became president’, said the director and then added: ‘I was characterized as non-patriotic for not supporting his propaganda against terrorism. Bush was named the War President. He could bomb anyone only because he wanted to. This was the public’s opinion in 2002. But people tend to forget. Bush was re-elected by the same people who criticized and were making fun of him’.
‘I am not trying to turn people against Bush’, he explained. ‘We based our story on real facts. We tried to see things from his point of view and not comment on his choices. We wanted to show the life of a man who gets up in the morning and likes what he sees. A man who defends what he does because he believes he is doing the right thing. Don’t bring your personal ideology with you when you come to see the film. Come to see the man’.
In relation to his film The Great Alexander and the way the hero appears in the film, Stone commented that according to his opinion, Great Alexander had a very strong feminine side in his personality. ’Those who cannot understand this are narrow-minded. I personally admire him a lot because he was a man of strong will and knowledge who kept the Greek spirit alive’.
