Peter Sarsgaard: Why I Dislike the Term 'Eco-terrorism'

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Peter Sarsgaard has gone green for his latest film, but admits he takes issue with some terms used when referring to characters such as his in Night Moves.

In the film, directed by Kelly Reichardt, Sarsgaard is as a radical environmentalist who, along with Jesse Eisenberg and Dakota Fanning, plans to blow up a hydroelectric dam.

While attending the screening of the film at Riviera Maya Film Festival in Quintana Roo, the 43-year-old sat down briefly to chat about the film's theme. "I actually really dislike the term 'eco-terrorism,'" Sarsgaard revealed. "We could apply it to everything. That person would be like a terrorism cocktail. It's a difficult term. Terrorism is a term used by the people being terrorized… There are these laws invented after 9/11 that were meant to apply to terrorists… if you committed an act of violence, even if people weren't killed, these laws would be applied to you."


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"Somebody destroyed a bunch of Hummers at a Humvee dealership, because they thought they were bad for the environment," he continued. "They would apply the terrorism laws to those people because of the destruction of property… but they weren't trying to hurt people."

Check out the video for more of Saarsgard's views about fighting for the environment, and the message his movie has about furthering the ecological and political conversation.


Night Moves
does not have a set theatrical release date in the United States yet, but is playing at the Tribeca Film Festival in April.


Do you agree with Sarsgard? State your case in the comments.

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