"Does Mr Spielberg really want to go down in history as the Leni Riefenstahl of the Beijing Games?" wrote Mia Farrow in a letter to director, Steven Spielberg, who is currently in bed with the Chinese government over the production of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Them's fighting words and we love it!
Leni Riefenstahl was the "Nazi-backed filmmaker who chronicled the 1936 Olympics in Berlin."
The letter was published in March's issue of the Wall Street Journal and spurred the controversy surrounding the mega star director's collaboration with world superpower and human rights violator, China. Now, Spielberg has indicated that with China's ongoing financial support of Sudan and the providing of weapons that have been used in Darfur (where a genocide is happening right now) he may back out of their partnership.
But not yet. People continue to die while Mr. Spielberg takes the several coming weeks to make up his mind. We are reminded of a moment in a film about another genocide (Schindler's List) where a powerful man regretted not doing his all to help those in need.
This is a man who has preached to the world - through his film making - about right and wrong. We're calling hypocrite but he still has a chance to make this right. We're thinking that maybe, like many others, Mr. Spielberg only cares about causes where the people affected remind him of himself.
We're behind Ms. Farrow 100% on this one. What's it gonna be, Steve?
PS. Richard Gere has also called for a boycott of the Beijing Olympics, stemming from his support of Tibet and his criticism of the treatment of Tibetans under Chinese rule.
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