Peter Sarsgaard Calls for ‘Collective Action’ in a Divided America at Karlovy Vary Film Festival

Peter Sarsgaard devoted his acceptance speech at the Karlovy Vary Film Festival to calling for “collective action” in the United States on the Fourth of July.

Sarsgaard was honored alongside “Phantom Thread” and “Corsage” actress Vicky Krieps with the festival’s President’s Award. In his speech, Sarsgaard talked about how working with others on films taught him that “there’s no going it alone,” and applied that to a bitterly divided U.S.

“As my country retreats from its global responsibilities and tries to go it alone, it is also being divided into factions from within, factions of politics, gender, sexuality, race, Jews split over the war. But when there’s a common enemy, there is no going it alone,” he said.

“Collective action is the only way forward in art and in our happiness. So thank you for this. I couldn’t have done it without all of you. And in the words of [Czech playwright] Vaclav Havel, one half of a room cannot remain forever warm while the other half is cold,” he continued.

Sarsgaard most recently appeared in the journalism drama “September 5” as ABC Sports president Roone Arledge, whose team found itself covering the Black September terrorist attacks at the 1972 Munich Olympics. Another journalism drama that he starred in, “Shattered Glass” starring Hayden Christensen, is screening at the Vary Festival in his honor.

Krieps, who recently won the Best Actress award at the Cannes Film Festival for her work in “Corsage,” spoke to her love of movies and their ability to “go across borders and transport the most powerful messages.”

“I came with nothing, and, when I leave this planet, I will go with nothing. So unfortunately, even the beautiful award will not go with me to where I’m going,” she said. “But I will take all the memories and all my dreams, and that’s what movies can do. So, we should try and save the movies so they continue to exist, and they continue to spread the word of love and peace and, most importantly, forgiveness.”

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