During an interview held at the Venice Film Festival, journalist Federica Polidoro interviewed Andrew Garfield, Julia Roberts and Ayo Edebiri for Luca Guadagnino’s upcoming film, “After the Hunt.” Polidoro overstepped in her journalistic pursuits by inquiring about “What we lost in the politically correct era” and “What to expect in Hollywood after the Me Too movement and the Black Lives Matter movement are done.” Polidoro followed this by mentioning that it was only directed towards Garfield and Roberts; notably, Edebiri was the only Black woman among the trio of talented actors.
The Emmy-winning actress responded with class and respect despite the reporter’s ignorance. Edebiri stated, “I don’t know if it’s purposeful if [the inquiry] is not for me, but I don’t think it’s done. I don’t think it’s done at all. Hashtags might not be used as much, but I do think there is work being done by activists, by people every day.” Her co-stars were supportive of her response, appearing happier to have Edebiri respond to the controversial statement rather than them.
Luca Guadagnino’s film starring Roberts, Garfield and Edebiri revolves around themes of racism, sexual abuse and deception. These cinematic themes are an open door for progressive questions rather than restricting ones, which makes Polidoro’s inquiry awkward. The Italian journalist could have easily addressed all three of the actors. Instead, she excluded the one person who would have been able to answer the question completely and truthfully.
Sadly, Polidoro’s rudely stated inquiry proves that oppression is still a global problem. Polidoro rejected the reality of two extremely active movements that advocate against important world issues. The reporter’s ignorance shows that some individuals still have closed minds when it comes to issues such as sexism and racism. These issues are still very much alive, especially if a journalist is willing to make such a statement during a recorded interview.
Edebiri handled Polidoro’s disrespect appropriately. She could have handled Polidoro with much less grace; however, her kindness reflected a professional tone of advocacy for both movements. The #BlackLivesMatter and the #MeToo movements will continue until all voices are heard equally, and as Edebiri stated, “There is [still] work being done.” It is likely that these movements will live on for generations to come.
