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We're live on Substack. I'm Mehdi Hassan from Zateo, and I'm delighted, as many of you join, I'm gonna wait a second before I say her name, because lots of you are joining. I don't need to say her name. It needs no introduction. Oscar-nominated, Emmy Award-winning screenwriter, producer, and director Ava DuVernay is with me. Hello, Ava.
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Hi there. Happy to be with you.
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And you are now the proud owner of the Onward with Ava Substack. You've joined Substack.

‘Do Not Obey in Advance’: Ava DuVernay Urges Hollywood Not to Bend the Knee to Trump

The Emmy-winning director also tells Mehdi she has been fighting for justice for Palestinians since her days as a college student at UCLA.

In his latest Substack Live, Mehdi is joined by award-winning director, including of the critically-acclaimed documentary ‘13th,’ Ava DuVernay, to celebrate the launch of her new Substack, Onward with Ava DuVernay.

She reflects on her motivation to join the platform, telling Mehdi, “It’s a chaotic time. I think fear is really the driving force in a lot of our institutions and individuals in the way that they are not living up to the moment in ways that we probably thought we would have.”

And while writers and journalists have flocked to Substack to discuss the political landscape, Ava wanted to bring a new perspective to the conversation.

Trump’s policies have put Hollywood in a precarious position as studios cozy up to the administration. As writers and actors fear retaliation for speaking out about politics, she quotes historian Tim Snyder’s saying, “don’t obey in advance,” and highlights the importance of working independently whenever possible.

One of the biggest issues Hollywood is tip-toeing around is the genocide in Gaza. Ava tells Mehdi, “I’ve been an advocate for the justice and dignity for the people of Palestine since I was a UCLA student.” She calls out the pressure to stay silent, noting that many Oscar attendees were hesitant to applaud when ‘No Other Land’ won.

“No matter where they are in their career, there’s a lot of repercussions to being on one side of this issue,” she explains.

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As she embarks on her Substack journey and in the midst of the Trump administration wreaking havoc, she asks Mehdi, “What do the artists have to say about it? Shouldn’t we be engaged more deeply – beyond just the things that we make – but the process, the way we make them, the reason why we make them.”

Watch the full conversation above to hear Ava talk about the state of the Democratic Party and press Mehdi on some of his favorite movies.

And be sure to check out Ava’s brand-new Substack, Onward with Ava DuVernay.


Catch up on some recent stories from Zeteo:

Discussion about this video

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Victoria's avatar

Origin blew my mind

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Ava DuVernay's avatar

🫶🏾

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Winifred's avatar

Don't normalize and become numb to the onslaught of outrageousness. Best advice. Zeteo is doing such a good job!!

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Fran Carbonaro's avatar

Great interview. Thanks to Mehdi & Ava! Origin is a great film; now I want to watch it again.

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Charlene Green, MD's avatar

Great to be one listening. Thank you both for caring about future of our young people. How do wwe hold those mostly Republicans form dismantling our institutions and making life worse for all

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Kimberly Weinstein's avatar

As a fellow Bruin, I feel like UCLA grad should always be included in her introductions ;)

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Ava DuVernay's avatar

✔️✔️✔️

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Sally A Stix's avatar

Thank you!

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ROSALIND BELANGER's avatar

Ava is such a peppy, lively and talented lady, a very nice interview.

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Quaid Saifee's avatar

Loved this conversation. Ava DuVernay is a role model for my daughter, who is a filmmaker. There cannot be a better role model. She is a force of nature and speaks truth to power.

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Maria Mendes's avatar

Great interview.

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Suzanne Mooney's avatar

Mehdi, I wonder if you would have time to take a look at the 'Leaked document", Oct 13, 2023.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/israel-gaza-palestinians-concept-paper-1.7015576

Aren't we playing into the Israeli hands, with GHF distribution, just outside Rafah...which is just on the border with Egypt? Am I the only person seeing this.

Mehdi, I am a subscriber, not a 'founding' member', so I don't have access to you. Please read this and let us know what you think.

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drbilldean@gmail.com's avatar

The Need for a Major Economic/Monetary Overhaul to Ensure Liberty

A gold standard is a safeguard against political mismanagement enshrined in the monetary powers and disabilities of Article 1 Sections 8 and 10 of the Constitution and the Mint Act of 1792 The current fiat monetary system is unconstitutional and denies the citizens the right to liberty and supports government hegemony

The history of dictators from Hitler to Mussolini to Lenin to Stalin to FDR shows that one of the first steps to gaining control of the government is to control the currency by keeping the monetary system off a gold standard, that is, when paper currency is redeemable in gold at request Otherwise the middle class taxpayer is presently disconnected from what happens in Washington DC and angry that they have no control over the possibility of impending hyperinflation

A gold standard is a safeguard against political mismanagement But currently we are so removed monetarily from what the framers of the Constitution knew would happen if the currency was not standardized to a precious metal that it will require from Money and Liberty, James Turk, 2021

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Tim Dalton's avatar

can't hear

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RSV's avatar

Mehdi - enjoyed this segment. However, how can you say the Democrats are not going to save us and in the next breath say that we have to go through Democrats and GOP for change? Cognitive dissonance brother. We marched, we called our representatives etc. and the Democrats LIED TO US ABOUT GAZA and told us to go to hell. Your efforts to prop up the duopoly are counterproductive to real change in this country.

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Julie Morrison's avatar

Such good energy. Appreciate you voices

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And you are now the proud owner of the Onward with Ava Substack. You've joined Substack.