About Paris Fashion Week, the Global Sumud Flotilla, and PTA’s latest movie
Did you ever think about how strange this world is? I am sure you did ! I do believe sometimes it gets weirder when largely covered yet very different events happen all at once.
In the past few days, it struck me to get a sense of how disconnected human beings can be, with each “bubble” of people having its public figures and supporters. Of course, one cannot help but ask : what if those worlds crossed paths ?
First, let’s speak about the Fashion Week. In Paris, it is happening now. If interested in fashion for reasons of your own kind (and there are many without the need to label people as capitalists/superficial/stupid- especially when you enjoy a look on your mirror), you do realize that the only political “statement” you will find is about the material that’s used to design the clothes and the need to protect the environment ! It’s been said by specialists that for the past few years, inclusivity with plus-size or transgender models for example lost its momentum, reflecting a world where the ideal of liberal democracy is at risk everywhere.
Political consciousness on that side of the world thus seems blocked at the gates of the Haute Couture shows, while public figures that are photographed and sometimes interviewed, do not comment in any way at what’s been happening.
This is strange for two reasons : first, it’s different from other big cultural events where we’ve seen some kind of mobilization to raise awareness about international conflicts. Remember the Superbowl Halftime Show where people from Kendrick Lamar’s crew raised the flags of Sudan and Palestine ? Or more recently, the Venice film festival where Kaouther Ben Henia’s movie “The voice of Hind Rajab” was met with a long standing ovation and won a prize ?
Second, there is one big event happening that could use some support, namely the Global Sumud Flotilla that tried to lift the blockade on Gaza to provide the population with humanitarian aid. Although the 44 boats have all been intercepted, sparking protests all over Europe notably, they had the merit of mobilizing the news cycle for the past few weeks, with the help of passengers such as Greta Thunberg. Now the hundreds of activists who tried to make it to the Gaza strip are under arrest, stuck in Israel and awaiting to be deported. The authorities’ reactions of the countries where the activists come from have been uneven. The strongest came from Colombia, which expelled Israeli diplomats from its country. Belgium summoned the Israeli ambassador. The need to protect those citizens, who redefine the idea of international activism, is urgent and using a venue such as Fashion Week could have an impact, especially right at the moment obviously…
Then there is the latest picture from one of the greatest directors of our times, Paul Thomas Anderson. In “One battle after another”, PTA, as many call him, tells us a story about what everyone heard about by this point, the rise of political violence in America. The movie is about a group of people, who use violence as a way to resist repressive migration policies. Their oppressors are not the police but the military. Their leading character is a white male revolutionary played by Leonardo Di Caprio, whose clumsiness prompts the audience’s laughter many times. Overall, the movie basically says that although it feels very complicated nowadays to organize, rally and act collectively on policies that are dismantling the American society, it should be possible to imagine it as fun, beautiful and highly entertaining.
Indeed, with regards to Anderson’s filmography, an action movie is not quite what you would expect, unless he feels it’s time for action. But yet again, it’s kind of weird that the main actor who leads this movie, is a very big Hollywood star who do not have a lot to do with political activism, except (again) regarding climate change. Sean Penn and Benicio Del Torro are also part of the cast along female actors such as Tenaya Taylor and Regina Hall.
I guess I am getting my hopes too high regarding the opportunity in our modern very connected world to bridge the global political and the global entertainment industry. Well maybe the lack of common interests makes it impossible and worthless…but is that really the only reason ?