Johnny Depp: "A single sentence against is enough to sink you, and there is no defense"

If the public had the ability to vote to endorse or reject the awarding of the Donostia award to Johnny Depp, the Donostiarra has turned to the actor.

As on no other day of the contest, people have gathered in the streets surrounding the Kursaal to celebrate their presence.

The María Cristina hotel, where she is staying, lives in a state of siege created by fans.

Another thing is the international specialized film press: even

charged against the decision of San Sebastián and Karlovy Vary (which honored him at the end of August) to honor him a few days ago.

But on the streets, and in the press room, Johnny Depp (Owensboro, 57) has been cheered.

So much so that when he entered the press room where he was going to talk about his award, Donostia joked after the warm reception: "You scared me, I thought you were going to kick me out."

And in Spanish he finished: "Thank you very much."

More information

• The San Sebastián festival defends its Donostia award to Johnny Depp after criticism from the association of women filmmakers

• Johnny Depp: "I don't consider myself an artist"

When the award was announced, associations such as CIMA, which groups together women in Spanish audiovisuals, protested against the decision. In March, a judgment against him had been upheld in British courts, in which Depp sued

newspaper for defamation

The judge determined that Depp attacked his ex-wife, actress Amber Heard, 12 times out of the 14 referred to and made her "fear for her life" up to three times, with what was published by

that he accused him of abusing, it was true. The Zinemaldia responded in a statement to the opposition to his award: “We will always defend two basic principles that are part of our culture and our legal system: the presumption of innocence and the right to reintegration. According to the proven data available to us, Johnny Depp has not been arrested, charged or convicted of any form of assault or violence against any woman ”. On Tuesday, the moderator of the talk did not allow the actor to answer a question about CIMA's opinion, but Depp did reflect on the moment in which he lives: “It is a very complex situation, because this culture of cancellation, this speed in judging is polluted air that is exhaled. When you are faced with something so mind-boggling, and overwhelming,this thing hits you from many angles. First comes the surprise ... These movements that were born with the best intentions today are uncontrolled. None of us are sure, none of you are here. A single sentence against you is enough. And they have hit you on the bullseye, there is no defense capacity. This is not just for me, but for women and men who have suffered from these unpleasant postures. At no point do we know what anyone is thinking, so no one is sure. Anyway, if you're armed with the truth that's all you need. When there is an injustice, either against you or against someone you love, get up, do not stay seated because the attacked person needs you ”.none of you are here. A single sentence against you is enough. And they have hit you on the bullseye, there is no defense capacity. This is not just for me, but for women and men who have suffered from these unpleasant postures. At no point do we know what anyone is thinking, so no one is sure. Anyway, if you're armed with the truth that's all you need. When there is an injustice, either against you or against someone you love, get up, do not stay seated because the attacked person needs you ”.none of you are here. A single sentence against you is enough. And they have hit you on the bullseye, there is no defense capacity. This is not just for me, but for women and men who have suffered from these unpleasant postures. At no point do we know what anyone is thinking, so no one is sure. Anyway, if you're armed with the truth that's all you need. When there is an injustice, either against you or against someone you love, get up, do not stay seated because the attacked person needs you ”.If you're armed with the truth, that's all you need When there is an injustice, either against you or against someone you love, get up, do not stay seated because the attacked person needs you ”.If you're armed with the truth, that's all you need When there is an injustice, either against you or against someone you love, get up, do not stay seated because the attacked person needs you ”.

Johnny Depp's arrival at the posed with the photographers amid extreme security measures.Javier Hernández

By his usual rhythms, Depp was punctual. He does maintain his usual slow cadence of speech, because he neatly searches for words, so he tends to twist his sentences in search of the exact term. With some bitterness he spoke of the movie studios: “Hollywood is no longer what it used to be, no matter how much it tries to be. They live in pandemonium, whatever those corporations do they step on people, and they can get rid of people like me. I don't dare call myself an artist, but I feel like I'm part of the creative side of cinema. Instead, how many formulas can they repeat? In a grotesque way, Hollywood has underestimated the public, and has forgotten to hit the audience with the force of its stories. The pandemic has crushed many businesses, it has been painful; in return he has locked up families in their homes,that suddenly they could see whatever movie they wanted ... And that wasn't bad ”.

After his dismissal by Warner from the

saga

Depp's career has suffered an

these months

although the actor's name is being mentioned for projects away from the

"I live a sudden stop, but these are strange and sudden times, and it is time to forget about the bad things in life, and I say it with everything I carry," he reflected aloud. For this reason, he deeply appreciated the honor of Donostia: “Tonight, first of all, I will remember the whole world of the festival, from José Luis [Rebordinos, its director] to the workers, the mayor and the city itself, all those who are involved in this award. I was worried if my presence might offend someone, something I don't want to happen, because all I do are movies. I've already been here three or four times, and I've always loved it. I know that it is a real film festival, that it has to do with the movies and not with making someone's buck. It is moving for me that I was chosen. The awards

They are very strange beasts, especially when it comes to competition.

I don't like to compete against anyone, because we all want to do our best ”.

And he finished off with a joke: "The same thing came out of a hat by mistake, so in a very humble way I appreciate it."

Passion for terror

About that long career, which began at age 21 as one of the victims of Freddy Krueger in A

and with

Works such as

(with his beloved Marlon Brando, a film that marked Depp's feature directorial debut),

or

He explained, “They almost cast the characters for me. It's very strange. Cinema is an image, and when I see these incarnations of myself, I remember those shootings and their experiences. I feel like part of a recipe for a special dish ”. And he explained how he chooses his projects: “I have always depended on my emotion and my instinct, I am motivated by the spark that comes out of the character. If there isn't, it's like drinking air. But if I find this hook, I choose roles that I understand that I can contribute something to them. Of course, there is a thread that unites all my works, and it is my background, it is my part of the puppeteer that moves the strings ”.

After performing a love song to Captain Jack Sparrow, something common in his statements, and the ability of that character to connect with children, he recalled: “When I was a kid, silent movies were fundamental, I watched them on television. Charles Chaplin, Buster Keaton ... When I grew up I watched horror classics in black and white. I've always been a huge horror fan. That connected me to Tim Burton when we met. In this genre you can hide behind the mask, the makeup, and you can escape your gravity load. I think of Lon Chaney and his ability to disappear and become the character. The suits, the prosthetics take me away from myself, they focus me on the character and his decisions. And after 50 minutes of press conference he said goodbye with a revealing:"Today I feel more comfortable behind the camera than on a train being myself."