Celebs Gone Good: First of all, what did you think of the documentary A Powerful Noise?
Natalie Portman: The film is so amazing. I think its always more powerful to hear individuals stories, to tell about a larger issue… when you talk about things in abstract terms, overriding terms, it’s very hard to grasp truth of it, whereas when you meet one human being and you really come to love them, and live their story, you understand it in such a different way
CGG: Since Sunday is International Women’s Day, CGG wanted to know what do you think are some of the biggest issues women face in today’s society? What issues have you personally faced being a woman in society and specifically a successful woman in the entertainment industry? What advise do you have for young women entering the workforce for dealing with those problems?
NP: We have a lot of issues that we still have to work on right here for women. Its something we really have to navigate; how to be unique in our own womanhood, not just trying to copy a male model but also demand the same access and the same rights hat men have, but in our own unique way, and its definitely a big challenge when our culture is simultaneously pushing girls to be in bras or on covers of magazines AND proclaiming their virginity at the same time, and it’s still a very old mindset we have about girls that we need to really work hard to fight against and we need to just create our own definition of ourselves.
CGG: Why do you think that women, and young women in particular, can make such a substantial impact on world affairs?
NP: It’s a fantastic way for women to get a sense of agency in their own lives! You hear women who have received microloans talking about the effects that its had on their life and the first thing they say is, ‘We can throw out men who are beating us or we have more control over our reproduction because we can say no to a man who wants to have sex with us because we can support ourselves, we don’t have to rely on men for help.’ Of course they spend their money on their children first on education, even before food, which is an amazing effect, and you see everything improving: from health education nutrition shelter. Everything is really positively affected with a very simple solution.
CGG: You created a wonderful FINCA Mexico documentary two years ago — any upcoming films or projects that will have you “doing something” via the arts or your acting?
NP: Not anything I can talk about yet, but, yes, I’m definitely interested in spotlighting – I mean the people I’ve met through my travels with FINCA and other organizations have been the most remarkable individuals I’ve had the opportunity to meet in my life, and its definitely lucky to get to spotlight them for film, so I hope to have opportunity to do it again. Thanks to DoSomething.org and Np.com for this interview!