Acclaimed actor Ethan Hawke recently graced the Berlin International Film Festival to promote his latest dramatic endeavor, The Weight.
During the festival’s press conference, Hawke opened up about the specific cinematic experience that served as a turning point for both his personal life and his professional journey.
“There is only one film that truly shifted the foundation of my world, and that is Dead Poets Society. Back then, I was adrift, unsure of my purpose or who I was meant to be. We took that film to Venice, and from that moment on, my life was never the same. While other roles may have steered my acting career, it was that specific experience that fundamentally changed my life,” Hawke revealed.
Premiering in 1989, Dead Poets Society stars Robin Williams as an unconventional, free-spirited educator who introduces his students to the beauty of literature at a rigid, conservative academy. The film follows the profound awakening he sparks within his pupils. A massive success, the movie grossed $235 million worldwide and secured an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.
Hawke’s new project, The Weight, is a period drama set against the harsh backdrop of the Great Depression. The narrative follows Samuel, a man forcibly separated from his young daughter and sent to a grueling labor camp. In a desperate bid for freedom, Samuel agrees to a perilous mission offered by a guard: smuggling gold across a deadly desert landscape. Driven by the hope of seeing his child again, he embarks on a journey that tests his limits.
The film features a stellar cast including Russell Crowe, Sam Hazeldine, and Julia Jones, directed by Pádraig McKinley. The theatrical premiere in Russia is scheduled for June 18.
Photo: Berlinale
