Hillary’s Star Power
When it comes to star power (and nearly everything else too), let’s face it: Hillary has it in the bag. Madonna, Beyonce, Jay Z, Katy Perry, Jon Bon Jovi, and Gaga have lined up to support her. But add to that list the filmmakers supporting Clinton. Pedro Almodovar? J.J. Abrams? Lake Bell? Joss Whedon? Sorry, Donald, but you just can’t compete.
While I don’t necessarily think filmmakers are political geniuses by default, it is nice to know that whatever the outcome of today’s election, I’m with them. And we’re all with her.
Originally seen at IndieWire:
Hillary Clinton for President: 37 Filmmakers Reveal Why She’s the Best Choice
It came as no surprise in October that Michael Moore’s secret documentary “Michael Moore in Trumpland” was a pro-Hillary Clinton film urging Americans to vote for the democratic presidential nominee on November 8. Moore has been one of the most vocal and politically active filmmakers of his generation, if not the most active, and he felt that too much of the election conversation was dominated by negativity.
READ MORE: Michael Moore’s Plan to Show ‘TrumpLand’ to ‘Millions of People’ Before the Election
“I just thought, I’m going to do something here and give people positive reasons to think about voting for her,” Moore said at the film’s premiere in New York on October 18. “What the country doesn’t need is to be told that Trump is crazy, dangerous, a psychopath and sociopath. He has written and produced that movie, and it appears daily.”
While most filmmakers keep their political views much more private than Moore — Steven Spielberg hasn’t been a vocal Clinton supporter but reportedly donated $1 million to her campaign — many have voiced their support for Clinton in a variety of public forums. Here are some of the other filmmakers who have publicly bashed Trump, endorsed Clinton, or both.
Judd Apatow
Apatow tweeted in September that he is voting for Clinton, and in a recent email to IndieWire, he called Trump “the worst America has to offer,” adding that he doesn’t care about anyone but himself. Here’s the rest of his statement:
“I don’t think he has any interest in helping people. He is just a bored rich man who has a lust for power. He has never shown any interest in charity or sacrificing for others during his entire life. I don’t believe he has suddenly woken up and decided he has concerns for our working class. He is a racist, narcissistic criminal who has always been willing to take every penny he can squeeze out of people, from Trump University to casinos to taking advantage of bankrupt people during the subprime mortgage meltdown. I hope he is soundly defeated.”
Pedro Almodóvar
At the New York Film Festival press conference for his 20th film, “Julieta,” the writer-director was asked his thoughts on Clinton, as almost all of his movies revolve around strong women. “I’m very surprised, because 10 or 15 years ago I couldn’t think that in a moment like this I could be praying for Hillary to be the President of the United States,” Almodóvar said, adding that he sees Clinton as a “strong” woman that could be a character in one of his films. “This is the first ‘Almodóvar girl’ I could imagine possibly [being President]. We are very concerned in Spain about these elections.”
George Clooney
Before hosting a fundraiser for Clinton in April, Clooney declared his support for the former Secretary of State in an email in to her supporters, saying that Clinton was the only candidate “who knows firsthand the complexity of our international relationships.” Clooney later predicted a Trump loss at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival press conference for “Money Monster” after being asked if he though the film might be a cautionary tale of things to come under a President Trump. “There’s not gonna be a president Donald Trump,” he said. “Fear is not going to be something that drives our country. We’re not going to be scared of Muslims or immigrants or women.”
David Lowery
“I’m voting for Hillary because I agree with her on many things – but that’s generally going to be the case with any Democratic candidate,” the “Ain’t Those Bodies Saints” and “Pete’s Dragon” director wrote to IndieWire in an email. “The reason I’m excited to vote for her is because I’m really tired of dudes and their dudely ways. High time for a chromosome shakeup!”
Quentin Tarantino
The “Hateful Eight” writer-director told the AP: “When you sit there and listen to Hillary Clinton on something like Charlie Rose and hear her talking in depth about the issues to such a degree it’s like, whoah, that’s who I want for my president.”
Louis C.K.
“It’s not a lesser of two evils,” the comedian and filmmaker recently told Conan O’Brian. “I think she’s really talented, super smart, and I would take her over anybody.”
Read more at IndieWire.com