At the Torino Film Festival, Sharon Stone questions American politics and advocates for awareness and change regarding ignorance and violence against women.
Actress Sharon Stone spoke on International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and offered a strong criticism of American politics during her recent visit to the Torino Film Festival in Italy.
Renowned for her consistent support of Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris, the 66-year-old actress exhorted the audience to consider who they choose to occupy governmental roles.
Stone expressed her concerns about the current state of the American government and noted that individuals often lack genuine political agency.
She continued, pointing to President-elect Trump, “We have to stop and consider who we choose for government.” She connected with Italy’s past, citing its experience with fascism and the lessons it teaches.
Stone emphasized the importance of education and global perspectives for Americans, who, shockingly, account for 80% of the world’s passport-holding population, particularly in their uneducated and arrogant teenage years.
She said that solving social problems depends on raising knowledge and understanding among Americans.
Stone underlined that assistance should go across gender boundaries to increase the dialogue on women’s safety and empowerment.
“Good men must help good men,” she said, stressing the importance of everyone realizing the risks their peers and friends bring.
When discussing more general societal problems, she said movingly, “The No. 1 killer for women is men,” emphasizing the need to tackle violence against women and exhorting men to take responsibility for their actions and those of their networks.
In line with Stone’s observations, fellow actor Alec Baldwin—who was also at the festival—emphasized the crucial role movies play in closing the knowledge divide in the United States.
Baldwin pointed out that many Americans still lack knowledge about urgent worldwide problems, such as geopolitical conflicts and climate catastrophes.
Some contend, however, that the predominance of entertainment-oriented movies often shapes reality by giving sensationalism priority over instruction.
This might result in a misled audience, as commercial motivations could affect stories more than a sincere intent to educate and inform.
Stone and Baldwin’s remarks represent a rising need for change and awareness amid a turning point in history as both of them negotiate the terrain of American culture and politics.