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Zoe Saldana has become one of the prominent pop culture icons in recent times. The actress, who has traversed the many universes, from Pandora in Avatar to Xandar in Guardians of the Galaxy, is now set to appear in the leading role in Absence of Eden, a political drama about immigration by Marco Perego, Zoe Saldana's husband.
The gritty drama is far more than just another project for Zoe Saldana, who believes that the political connotations in the film are some of the most relevant issues plaguing the world today.
Speaking to Variety after the Taormina Film Festival, Saldana commented on the upcoming film and her past related to immigration, saying:
"I think invisible lines create a lot of judgement and division between us as a human race. And it pains me. I’m a proud Latina, I’m proud Afro-Caribbean. And it pains me to know my community is judged much more harshly than other communities, when in reality, Latinos compose a great f*cking portion of the American economy."
"Our children are enlisting into the military quicker than any other community. We are buying our own homes. We’re borrowing from banks, starting our own businesses and enrolling in school at a much higher rate than so many communities in America, and yet the narrative of us in the news and media is negative, " she added.
Saldana plays the role of an undocumented woman in Absence of Eden who is trying to escape a ruthless cartel.
"The conversation of immigration has always been a universal conversation in my life."- Zoe Saldana on her family history
Apart from the social commentary that this upcoming project is sure to provide on the persistent issue of Immigration in many first-world countries, this is a topic that Zoe Saldana has faced firsthand. Her rich family history goes back to the Caribbean and for her, this is hardly a new topic.
Speaking about her family history in relevance to the Absence of Eden, Zoe Saldana said:
"My family’s from the Caribbean,...So our wave of immigration was from the east side of the States, from the Atlantic. It was a different experience. "
"My grandmother immigrated for political purposes. Right after the assassination of Rafael Trujillo in the Dominican Republic, a lot more visas were granted to Dominicans. She arrived in ‘61. The conversation of immigration has always been a universal conversation in my life," she noted.
The bold film by Perego will dive into the harsh realities linked to immigration, immigrants, and the way they are treated. Pergego reportedly took two years to research this topic with the help of cross-border activist and founder of This Is About Humanity, Elsa Collins.
This topic not only serves as a great canvas for the debutant director but also gives the chance to Zoe Saldana to stretch her acting skills after being typecasted in action films in recent years.
Saldana also revealed in the interview that she did not plan on becoming a franchise actor, but the films she worked on managed to be successful enough to spawn multiple sequels.
Marco Perego’s debut feature The Absence of Eden premiered at the 69th Taormina Film Festival.
