Director and Actor Shut Down Suggestion Their New Historical Drama Is Too White
The movie industry in the United States is culturally racist. It also promotes racism in a backhanded sort of way, albeit a bit differently now than ever before.
The premise is the same. It’s just doused in “woke-ism” and recast as “fair.”
There is nothing fair about an industry that sets the ground rules to qualify for prestigious awards using diversity. Disqualifying candidates based on the racial makeup of the cast is, in fact, “racist.”
When I say “racial makeup,” I mean how un-white the cast can be. When you hear the word “diversity” come out of the mouths of the Hollywood decision-makers and elite award purveyors, what they are saying is “less white, more every other color.”
The entire U.S. movie industry has become an offshoot of the leftist agenda, disguising entertainment with politicking. “White” has become “trite” in this neck of the woods. And they’d rather compromise the integrity and authenticity of the story to make sure that message is heard.
Art is being encapsulated in racism — anti-white woke ideology. And you will be punished if you don’t comply by being disqualified from prestigious competitions from the jump.
Not all artists agree. This includes those cultivating their visions in other countries, where the story still leads and awards remain secondary to the process.
Living in this country in 2023, it seems hard to imagine.
This is undoubtedly the reason Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen and director Nikolaj Arcel shocked some people when answering a reporter’s astute concerns at the Venice Film Festival in Italy over their film qualifying for “Best Picture” in the Academy Awards.
Oscar nominees in that category must meet specific criteria for the race, ethnicity and sexuality of the cast and crew.
“The Promised Land” is a historical drama set in Denmark in the 1750s. True to that time period, almost all of the cast is white.
So when Arcel was asked about his decision not to deviate to meet the woke agenda and what that could mean in competing for noted U.S. film awards, he candidly explained his decision.
“It wasn’t a thought in our mind,” the director said. “I think it would be a little weird. You know, it’s just historical. It’s how it was.”
Danish actor Mads Mikkelsen was less forgiving in his response.
“What are you on to?” the film’s star asked when the reporter mentioned the lack of diversity in the film.
Notably annoyed by the line of questioning, Mikkelsen turned the tables on the reporter.
“It’s not because of artistic reasons but because of lack of diversity that this can’t compete in that competition,” the reporter said. “Are you worried about that?”
“Are you? … You’re putting us on the spot, so you answer the question,” the actor said.
It seemed as though Mikkelsen’s response was more a reflection of his disgust for what has occurred in the U.S. movie industry than the reporter’s audacity to ask the question.
Without fully understanding the direction the reporter was going, the actor pushed back in an effort to maintain the focus of the news conference as it had originally been intended.
He did it even before he realized that the reporter was on his side, pointing out the unfairness of how great films are being lost to woke-ism through his asking of the question. It is a sign of the very unfortunate times.
The reporter would go as far as to draw a comparison between “Parasite” and “The Promised Land,” explaining that the former, a South Korean thriller, had qualified for “Best Picture” despite boasting a wholly Asian cast. “The Promised Land” would not have that luxury.
Diversity requirements are the worst thing to happen in Hollywood the past year
— the business (@the1whoknock5) September 2, 2023
As a film no longer can be just a film, the shift to politicizing everything is coloring the entire world.
In the movies, “woke” is invoking guarded and hostile reactions such as displayed by Mikkelsen and Arcel at this news conference. It is also unfairly impacting art, connection and the relationship between the two.
Racism is indeed alive and well, just as the left wants it to be. What better way to destroy progress while deflecting from the true issues and overreaches at hand? All the world is a stage.
Truth and Accuracy
We are committed to truth and accuracy in all of our journalism. Read our editorial standards.
