Jessica Chastain Says Her Mexico-U.S. Immigration Film ‘Dreams’ Is ‘Incredibly Political,’ but ‘I Am a Hopeful Person’: I’m Not Going to Give Up on My Country’ – Variety
By
Ellise Shafer
Jessica Chastain said her latest film “Dreams,” a drama that centers on immigration between Mexico and the U.S., is “incredibly political” — but she’s “not going to give up on my country.”
Directed by Michel Franco and premiering in competition at Berlin Film Festival on Saturday, “Dreams” stars Chastain as Jennifer, a wealthy philanthropist who falls for Fernando (Isaac Hernández), a young Mexican ballet dancer who crosses the border into the U.S. — leaving everything he knows behind and narrowly escaping death — in order to be with her.
During the film’s press conference, Chastain said “Dreams” is “incredibly political because of what’s happening right now in the United States,” seemingly referring to President Donald Trump’s restricted policies on immigration that include mass deportations of undocumented people. She continued that the film explores “this relationship between the United States and Mexico and how, in some sense, they both need each other and have to learn to play fair.”
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But, she added, “you have to find hope where you are in the world.”
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“I make my home in the U.S. because I am a hopeful person and I believe that you have to participate to create the environment, the culture, the society that you want,” she said. “I’m not going to give up on my country, so I’d like to say there’s a lot of us there who are still quite hopeful and we’re fighting the good fight.”
When asked about the title “Dreams” and if the U.S. is still a place that symbolizes that, Franco said: “Do I believe in the American dream? I’d say not anymore. But let’s not forget it’s a country based on immigrants.”
In an interview with Variety, Hernández — a professional ballet dancer who is currently a principal at New York City’s American Ballet Theater — also discussed the film’s urgent message regarding immigration.
“I think it’s really important nowadays to realize that this is something that is not happening in isolation,” he said. “This is happening all around the world, and immigration has been an essential part of our development as a society. It’s hugely important to remember that immigrants are complex human beings that have amazing qualities and have missteps. I feel like when we are aware of that, we are united in our humanity.”
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