Leading director Pedro Almodóvar tells Cannes filmmakers have a ‘moral duty’ to speak on politics

• Acclaimed Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar stated that filmmakers have a "moral duty" to speak out about politics, criticising US president Donald Trump during the Cannes Film Festival .
• Almodóvar, promoting his new film Bitter Christmas , condemned Trump's attacks on free speech and urged European countries to prevent similar political forces from gaining power.
• He emphasised that "silence and fear is a symptom that things are going badly" and that “we have to act as a shield against this madness”.
• His views contrast with those of filmmaker Wim Wenders, who, at the Berlin Film Festival, argued that filmmakers should "stay out of politics" and be the "counterweight of politics".
• Actor Javier Bardem , a vocal supporter of Palestine, also spoke about politics at Cannes, informing the press that he feared retaliation for his activism but affirming his readiness to face “consequences”.

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Oscar-winning filmmaker Pedro Almodóvar says directors have a ‘moral duty’ to be political