Chilean born actor Pedro Pascal's new film Eddington was screened at the Cannes Film Festival in France over the weekend, followed by a panel discussion with members of the cast and creative team.
The Ari Aster written, produced, and directed film is set in the fictional town of Eddington, New Mexico, during the COVID-19 pandemic. Conflict ensues between a small-town sheriff and the mayor over COVID protocols and the Black Lives Matter movement, eventually leading residents to pick sides.
While the MAGA movement isn't explicitly named in the film, critics and viewers have drawn the parallel, leading to multiple questions during the Cannes panel about the political climate in the United States and the Trump administration.
When a reporter asked Pascal if he had any fears about reentering the United States, the actor responded:
"Fear is the way that they win, for one."
"And so keep telling the stories and keep expressing yourself and keep fighting to be who you are."
Pascal, a naturalized U.S. citizen whose parents fled Chile when he was an infant, added:
"And, I don’t know, f*ck the people that try to make you scared, you know? And fight back."
You can see the moment here:
from thescoop
To a question about immigrants from Latin America being targeted by the Trump administration, Pascal replied:
"Obviously, it’s very scary for an actor who participated in a movie to sort of speak to issues like this. It’s far too intimidating the question for me to really address, I’m not informed enough."
"I want people to be safe and to be protected, and I want very much to live on the right [side] of history."
He added:
"I’m an immigrant. My parents are refugees from Chile. We fled a dictatorship, and I was privileged enough to grow up in the U.S. after asylum in Denmark. If it weren’t for that, I don’t know what would have happened to us."
"I stand by those protections."
People admired Pascal's words and conviction to equal justice.
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Others worried about retaliation from the Trump administration. At the very least, they expected an unhinged rant on Truth Social.
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Pascal plays the part of the mayor in Eddington while Joaquin Phoenix fills the sheriff's role.
The film also stars Luke Grimes, Deirdre O'Connell, Micheal Ward, Austin Butler, and Emma Stone. It is slated for release in U.S. theaters on July 18, 2025.
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