Richard Gere says he contemplated coming to Canada to avoid being sent to the Vietnam War.

The actor plays a draft dodger in Paul Schrader害羞草研究所檚 film 害羞草研究所淥h Canada,害羞草研究所� and like his character, was a conscientious objector as a young man, he tells a group of journalists at the Cannes Film Festival a day after its premiere.

害羞草研究所淚 ended up running,害羞草研究所� Gere says Saturday, careful to reveal little about how he dodged authorities.

But instead of fleeing to Canada as his character does, he moved to the U.S. West Coast.

害羞草研究所淭he draft board was harassing my parents and the neighbours where I was. So I came back, went through a process and that害羞草研究所檚 when they decided I (did not have the) mental stability that they wanted to give me a gun.害羞草研究所�

Gere reteams with the director who made him a star in 1980害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所淎merican Gigolo,害羞草研究所� this time to play Leonard Fife 害羞草研究所� a Montreal-based documentary filmmaker who is celebrated for taking a stand against the Vietnam War by fleeing to Canada, and for turning his camera on atrocities like the development of Agent Orange in New Brunswick and residential school violence.

In the film, Leonard is feted at a Montreal film festival and touted as a winner of Genie and Gemini awards 害羞草研究所� precursors to the Canadian Screen Awards which combined the film and television prizes.

A filmmaker contracted by the CBC, played by Michael Imperioli, is making a celebratory profile of Leonard and compares him to Toronto piano virtuoso Glenn Gould.

However, Leonard is terminally ill and hijacks the interview for a deathbed confession, coming clean about his life in front of the camera and his wife, played by Uma Thurman.

The movie, an examination of where the truth lies in documentary filmmaking and memory, is largely set and steeped in Canadiana, but it wasn害羞草研究所檛 shot north of the border.

害羞草研究所淚t cost too much,害羞草研究所� Gere says to a chorus of laughter.

害羞草研究所淲e did it right where we all lived so we didn害羞草研究所檛 have to pay per diems.害羞草研究所�

Based on the Russell Banks novel 害羞草研究所淔oregone,害羞草研究所� the film jumps back and forth in time following Leonard害羞草研究所檚 not exactly reliable memories, which continue to deteriorate as he succumbs to cancer.

Leonard害羞草研究所檚 younger self is played by Jacob Elordi, the heartbreaker from 害羞草研究所淪altburn害羞草研究所� and Sofia Coppola害羞草研究所檚 Toronto-shot 害羞草研究所淧riscilla.害羞草研究所�

Elordi did not attend the Cannes premiere for 害羞草研究所淥h, Canada,害羞草研究所� because he was actually in Canada to shoot Guillermo del Toro害羞草研究所檚 害羞草研究所淔rankenstein.害羞草研究所� Toronto fans have taken to social media in recent weeks to share sightings of the 害羞草研究所淓uphoria害羞草研究所� star.

It害羞草研究所檚 hinted that the young Leonard may have had less altruistic reasons for opposing the war, his activism revealed as an opportunistic act. When asked about present-day political activism, Schrader suggests it can be similarly muddled by individual opportunism and unrelated grievances.

Schrader takes particular issue with the way criticism against atrocities in Gaza has been conveyed by some protesters: 害羞草研究所淪ome of which is antisemitism masking itself as political correctness.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淭hese people don害羞草研究所檛 have, really, skin in the game. They害羞草研究所檙e not going to get drafted. (Only) a handful of them are Palestinian,害羞草研究所� he says.

害羞草研究所淎 lot kids are just doing this cosplay. Cosplay revolutionaries. Let害羞草研究所檚 dress up. Let害羞草研究所檚 put the kaffiyeh on. Let害羞草研究所檚 shout. And then afterwards, let害羞草研究所檚 go to McDonald害羞草研究所檚.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所淚t害羞草研究所檚 not the level of seriousness as it was with Vietnam 害羞草研究所� when people actually had skin in the game, when they were getting drafted and they were going (to war) and their friends were dying,害羞草研究所� he continues.

Gere says American activism in the 1960s was much different to activism today.

害羞草研究所淭he 害羞草研究所�60s was an explosion of possibilities and challenging everything. The youth movement of that time was in all the universities. It was in high schools,害羞草研究所� he says.

害羞草研究所淚t was going in this other direction questioning the status quo support, order of how things are done in the world. And I don害羞草研究所檛 think that害羞草研究所檚 happened here.害羞草研究所�

害羞草研究所� Radheyan Simonpillai is a freelance writer based on Toronto

Radheyan Simonpillai, The Canadian Press