Most Americans marvel at the technology at their disposal in 2013, be it a WiFi-enabled iPad or the cell phone in their pocket or purse. Robert Redford sees such goodies as signs of technological excess that may lead to the planet's doom.
The actor, in Cannes to promote his latest film All is Lost, blasted his home country for its past political scandals and thirst for progress.
Certain things have got lost," said Redford. "Our belief system had holes punched in it by scandals that occurred, whether it was Watergate, the quiz show scandal, or Iran-Contra; it's still going on…Beneath all the propaganda is a big grey area, another America that doesn't get any attention; I decided to make that the subject of my films.
The actor/director also worries that the country's zest for technological advancement is killing the planet.
We are in a dire situation; the planet is speaking with a very loud voice. In the US we call it Manifest Destiny, where we keep pushing and developing, never mind what you destroy in your wake, whether its Native American culture or the natural environment.
"I've also seen the relentless pace of technological increase. It's getting faster and faster; and it fascinates me to ask: how long will it go on before it burns out.
It's more than ironic that the filmmakers who attend Redford's Sundance Film Festival each year directly benefit from technological advances, from advanced methods of distribution to camera technology that improves the look of even micro-indie films.
[Cross-posted from Big Hollywood]
