Commercial films have been his stepping stone to reaching his goals
CAIRO: In the “Lethal Weapons series of films, Danny Glover was usually the butt of Mel Gibson’s jokes.
But in Cairo for the International Film Festival, Glover was serious about breaching cultural divides around the world.
Dressed in a brown suit and a white cap, he told a packed news conference that his role and the role of film is to bridge gaps and give voice to untold stories.
Honored at the Cairo International Film Festival, Glover said the award he received is part of general outreach efforts in which cinema connects people.
In a meeting with the media on Wednesday the American actor, best known for his role in “Lethal Weapon as policeman Roger Murtaugh, highlighted how his participation in commercial, mainstream films have helped his career and consequently gotten his message through.
Whether it was providing him with needed financing for low budget independent productions, or giving him enough exposure to be spotted by other directors, Glover credits his roles in mainstream films with a lot.
Steven Spielberg saw me in ‘Places in the Heart’ and hired me for ‘The Color Purple,’ Glover said. While the former followed the struggle of a Caucasian woman in 1930s America, the latter surveyed the life of a young African American woman.
The theme of African dignity dominated his answers during the event. In the process, he stressed the role films could play in this regard. We can write our own history through culture, reexamine it . and speak our own truth.
He pointed to joint productions (expressing his wish to work on something with Egyptian filmmakers) and giving the opportunity for filmmakers around the world to speak their minds and tell their own stories.
On the top of the list of his own efforts is his participation in “Bamako, a drama set in Mali that explores pressing issues in Africa, such as African debt and the exploitation of international organizations. The 2006 film is directed by Mauritanian filmmaker Abderrehmane Sissako.
I can t emphasize enough the importance of other avenues that exist outside the hegemony of filmmaking, he said in reference to the Americanization of cinema that s happening today.
An outspoken character, Glover responded to questions about politics and racism, something that many celebrities refrain from currently.
He confirmed his anti-Iraq war status and noted that the US still refuses to address race issues.
Commenting on the recent Michael Richards case where the Seinfeld actor blurted out racist remarks during a stand-up comedy act, Glover said, There is a fine line between comedy and [offensiveness], particularly in a country that still refuses to address the issue of race.
