The film opens in cinemas in the US on 11 October – less than a month before the US presidential election. Here in Norway, it can be seen in cinemas from 18 October.
Ali Abbasi fears for his own safety before the premiere.
– I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t thought about it. Being in conflict with the world’s potentially most powerful person is not fun, he says with a wry smile to the TT news agency.
Abbasi fears Trump’s supporters more than he fears the former president himself, he explains. When so much false information is spread in social media, it’s hard to control what’s going on and what someone might get up to.
– I don’t think I’m that afraid of Trump as a person. I’m scared of this whole process. I’m as afraid of Facebook as I am of Trump, says the filmmaker.
– Does not take a position
Ali Abbasi claims that the film does not really take that much of a position against Trump politically.
– It has been in the media so many times. I have nothing new to say about it. On the contrary, about how he has become the person we know. That’s where we might have something interesting to contribute.
When “The Apprentice” had its world premiere in Cannes in May, Trump polished his lawyers on Abbasi and the film company. It took a long time to clarify the distribution in the United States, where many are afraid of falling out of favor with the Republican presidential candidate.
Warning of consequences
Abbasi’s film contains a scene in which Trump (Sebastian Stan) rapes his first wife Ivana, and also depicts how in the 70s and 80s he was trained by the icy lawyer Roy Cohn (Jeremy Strong) – who, according to the film, taught him to attack, never admit anything, and always say you have won.
Should Donald Trump win the election, Abbasi has received warnings from the distributors and others in the film industry about what could happen.
– They say “If he becomes president, he will use all regulations, the Ministry of Justice and all authorities to go after us”.
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Based on the provided information, it appears that the film in question is likely “The Apprentice – Alle Origini di Trump” (The Apprentice – The Origins of Trump), directed by Ali Abbasi, a renowned Iranian-born director, writer, and sceneggiatore [[2]]. The movie is set to release on October 11 in the US and October 18 in Norway.
The statement from the news article indicates that Ali Abbasi has expressed concerns about his own safety prior to the film’s premiere [[1]]. Although the specific reasons behind these concerns are not explicitly mentioned, given the timing of the release – just before the US presidential election - and the nature of the film, which apparently deals with the early life of the Trump family, it can be inferred that Abbasi might be worried about potential backlash from those who might be affected or offended by the film.
As a news analyst, I can observe that the life of a filmmaker like Ali Abbasi, known for critically acclaimed works such as “Border” (2018) and “Holy Spider” (2022) [[3]], can be a complex one, with art often blurring the lines with reality. Given his background and previous work, Abbasi’s concern for his safety seems understandable.
It would not be the first time an artist has faced adversity due to their work. The imminent release of a film that potentially challenges existing narratives or portrays public figures in an unconventional way may generate controversy and elicit reactions that are unpredictable and potentially threatening.
The combination of the film’s sensitive subject matter and the current social climate, especially just before a major presidential election in the United States, undoubtedly intensifies these risks. This highlights the immense pressure on creatives like Abbasi who choose to push boundaries and pursue challenging and socially relevant topics.
Abbasi’s candid admission of fear about his safety should give pause for reflection on the vital importance of artistic freedom and the capacity to engage in constructive dialogue over divergent points of view.
