Bella Ramsey, George Jacques, and Neil Patrick Harris had more political questions to field ahead of the Berlin Film Festival premiere of Sunny Dancer.
In George Jacques’ sophomore feature, Game of Thrones and The Last of Us star Ramsey plays Ivy, a 17-year-old who beats cancer and can’t think of anything worse than becoming a Make-A-Wish kid. When her parents (Baby Reindeer‘s Jessica Gunning and Happy Valley‘s James Norton) send her to summer camp for kids affected by cancer, led by camp counselor Patrick (Harris), she manages to find unexpected friends in an unlikely group of misfits.
Earl Cave, Jasmine Elcock, and Conrad Khan joined Ramsey, Harris, and Jacques at Friday’s presser, though co-stars Daniel Quinn-Toye and Ruby Stokes were absent. Este Haim was also present, having composed the music for Sunny Dancer, and gushed over working with both Jacques and Paul Thomas Anderson.
Ramsey was immediately asked about their recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, published Thursday, about their wanting to stray away from big Hollywood shows and instead refocus their attention on British independent film.
“It was just the best, joyous six weeks to spend in Scotland. Everybody so wanted to be there. I think that’s what’s so special about the budget independent film,” they said, “is that everyone’s there because they want to be there. And we want to make something really special… Best experience I’ve had in my career so far, it’s a big statement, but honestly it was probably the best professional six weeks of my fricking life.”
The filmmaker, Ramsey, and How I Met Your Mother‘s Harris were soon asked about whether films should be political and if cinema can fight fascism. “I think we live in a strangely algorithmic and divided world right now, and so as artists, I’m always interested in doing things that are apolitical,” answered Harris. “Because we’re all, as humans, wanting to connect in some way.”
“That’s why we experience things together,” he continued. “And so when you get to go to a film where you’re caring about the people, you’re caring about the heart of what’s happening, you’re watching this film of these young adults growing up under the umbrella of a world where some of them won’t, and I think that is so touching and also kind of exciting and rebellious and horny, and then it’s fun to be able to witness that without having to process it through a contemporary lens. Right?”
British filmmaker Jacques responded: “Sometimes the most rebellious thing you can do is be optimistic. And we wanted to make a film about joy. There’s so much going on in the world right now, and I wanted to make something that really takes you somewhere else… Yes, it’s a cancer movie. Yes, all of that happens. But actually, it’s about this young girl who starts falling in love with the world again.”
Later, after a journalist told the cast and crew that it’s “embarrassing” to say the film isn’t political after having had access to healthcare to fight cancer themselves, Harris was asked by another: “Do you dare to criticize your government and do you think democracy in the U.S. is in danger?”
“Wow,” Harris began. “While I have my own political opinions, I think as a performer, especially in this kind of movie, [I’m] trying to be as inclusive [as possible.] I never read this script as a political statement. It was much more about a human growing up and having realizations about themselves, singularly and [about] friendship.”
Music star Haim also told attendees she’d jump at the chance to work with PTA again, and praised her sister’s performance in Oscar favorite One Battle After Another: “If Johnny Greenwood happens to want to retire, I will be right there for Paul whenever he would like, and yeah, my sister was amazing in One Battle After Another and I’m so proud of her. I’m so proud of both my sisters. I’m so excited to see what Alana does in the future.”
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