It may be hard to top the Golden Globes, where Meryl Streep spent much of her time on stage lambasting the president, but the Oscars are giving them a run for their money as political statements are being made before the stars even hit the red carpet. Five nominated directors of foreign-language films released a declaration hours before the ceremony condemning what they believe is a rise in U.S. "fanaticism and nationalism."
"The fear generated by dividing us into genders, colors, religions and sexualities as a means to justify violence destroys the things that we depend on — not only as artists but as humans: the diversity of cultures, the chance to be enriched by something seemingly 'foreign' and the belief that human encounters can change us for the better. These divisive walls prevent people from experiencing something simple but fundamental: from discovering that we are all not so different," they write.
The directors don't mention President Trump by name but their subtle mention of "divisive walls" is a pretty good hint who their target is.
One of the statement's authors, Iranian filmmaker Asghar Farhadi, writer and director of "The Salesman," announced last month that he would be skipping this year's Academy Awards in protest of Trump's executive order on immigration, which he called "unjust."
The directors are dedicating the Oscar-winning film in the foreign language category to "those working toward unity."
This is just a preview of the politically charged ceremony expected Sunday evening.