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Viggo Mortensen
Main Cause(s): allcauses
Keyword(s): lord rings viggo mortensen
Movies In: Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, Return of the King, Hidalgo, A Walk on the Moon, 28 Days, A Perfect Murder, Carlito's Way, Psycho, Albino Alligator, Indian Runner, American Yakuza, Deception/Ruby Cairo, Floundering, Salvation, Witness, Prophecy
Web Link 1: http://www.percevalpress.com
Web Link 2: http://www.houseoftelcontar.com
Group Link 1: http://www.homeboy-industries.org
Group Link 2: http://www.poetsagainstthewar.org/displaypoem.asp?AuthorID=11546
Photo Link: http://www.houseoftelcontar.com/images/newcover.jpg
Submitted by: linda
Activism bio (charitable work)
Check out Viggo Mortensen's anti-war comments where he cautions audiences not to make a simplistic comparison of the U.S. to the "good guys" in the Lord of the Rings movies.
"I don't think that 'The Two Towers' or Tolkien's writing or our work has anything to do with the United States' foreign ventures," he told Charlie Rose, "and it upsets me to hear that."
"If you’re going to [make a comparison], then you should get it right," Mortensen told Rose. "The people who are terrified at Helm’s Deep, who are outnumbered by this incredible violence and desire to control, to destroy--that’s what we’re doing in these countries. We’ve been doing this for a year in Afghanistan; we’ve been doing it for 11 years in Iraq."
"Viggo, like the rest of us, doesn't want this film to be adopted by American jingoists as a pro-war movie," says his co-worker, Elijah Wood.
You can read a transcript or download a video clip of the Viggo Mortensen interview. (For the clip, it's better if you download the .mov file first, then view it with the Apple QuickTime viewer)
His publishing house, Perceval Press, recommends some interesting political reading and sells anti-war T-shirts, "No More Blood For Oil", "War Is Not The Answer", which are copies of a shirt he designed and wore, as well as books of his work - poetry, photography, painting - books and T-shirts.
The T-shirts are being made by Homeboy Industries where gang members, at-risk youth and those recently released from detention facilities can find assistance with job placement, tattoo removal, counseling, community service opportunities and case management services.
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