Dakota Johnson isn’t one to have muchof a filter, or much of a thought processvefore just blaring out whatever pops into her head. That’s why I like her—and despite what her detractors claim, she’s a decent actress as well (go ahead, judge me).
That said, the always-entertaining Madame Johnson should have been wiser and more selective with her wording when describing her recent trip to Saudi Arabia.
Speaking in conversation at the Red Sea International Film Festival, Johnson was in absolute glee over her experience in the country, to the point that she now feels a renewed faith in the medium:
There’s so much I’m learning from being here. In the States it feels really grim; and even in the less than 24 hours that I’ve been here [in Saudi Arabia], I have a renewed faith in cinema […] The thing I feel about this festival is inspired. I feel inspired to operate this way in our own production company in the States; I want to support all these filmmakers.
Now, to be fair, film festivals are designed to feel magical—free-flowing praise, earnest panels, and the intoxicating sense that cinema might actually save us all if we just fund one more indie drama. And Johnson’s enthusiasm feels genuine, not calculated. Still, publicly contrasting “grim” Hollywood with a country that has only recently begun opening its cultural doors was always going to raise a few eyebrows.
Forget the future of cinema for a moment: Saudi Arabia has a complicated relationship with free speech and artistic freedom. The country only lifted its decades-long ban on movie theaters in 2018, and its growing film scene remains tightly controlled by those in power. There are strict censorship rules and an ever-present understanding of which topics are simply off-limits.
In the end, this feels like a very on-brand Dakota Johnson moment. As with almost everything she says, there’s sincerity paired with a slightly unfiltered clumsiness. The optics could use a bit more sprucing up, but honestly? Let’s just let her be. Continue doing what you do, Madame Johnson.