John Boyega: I find it hard to gather my thoughts on Charlottesville violence
He said there are parallels between the violence in the US and his new movie.
Star Wars actor John Boyega has said he “finds it hard to even gather his thoughts” on the violence in Charlottesville and the parallels it has with his new film about racist brutality.
Arriving at the London premiere of Detroit, his co-star Will Poulter said the violence from Nazis and white supremacists at the weekend was a “true regression” for humanity and called for US President Donald Trump to be impeached.
The London-born star added when he was shooting the film he had hoped it would draw further attention to the shooting of Mike Brown by a police officer in Ferguson, Missouri, the death of Sandra Bland in police custody and of Trayvon Martin, who was shot and killed by a neighbourhood watch volunteer.
“We didn’t know what was going to happen in the last few days, it’s unfortunate.”
“I had full faith in Kathryn and I was curious to find out whether the respect would be there, the integrity, being as it is a story that crosses cultures and requires perspective and understanding.
“Where she did not understand she asked questions and for where she did understand she surprised me and it was a great experience working with her on this.”
He added: “I think for a lot of people it’s hard to believe it’s even happening.
“It feels like a true regression as far as the human race is concerned and it just speaks to the need for people like Donald Trump to be impeached, we can’t afford to have individuals like that in positions of that kind of power.”
“I think of the film, in my humble opinion as an indictment against the pervasiveness of racism and then these events seem to document the continuation of it and I think we need to address the inequity in my country for sure.”
Detroit is released in the UK on August 25.
