Actor George Clooney, in Berlin for the 64th Berlinale Film Festival, was asked during a Feb. 8 news conference about his personal connections to Ukraine and why he's chosen to support the anti-government EuroMaidan protests. He noted his friendship with boxing brothers Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko. Wladimir Klitschko had a cameo role in Clooney's 2001 film "Ocean's Eleven." He also said that he regards imprisoned ex-Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko as a political prisoner.
The following is a transcript of Clooney’s remarks:
“The Klitschko brothers, we’re friends with. We’ve known them since the Ocean’s film and we see them often and keep in touch sometimes. I like them both very much. But I was also aware of Yulia Tymoshenko and the fact that she really hasn’t committed any crime. She’s been placed in jail sort of as a political prisoner. It just seems like it gets lost in all the shuffle of news and it’s not talked about. I just wanted to show some support for that. I think the protesters are having a very difficult time and I know they are having some hooligans on their side that are making it more difficult. It’s going to be a very long struggle but I find it to be an important one to at least point out that the people are hoping for their own self-determination.”
The video clip is here:
