Zoe Saldana receives 'Special Honorary Pardo' at 79th Locarno Film Festival
Los Angeles, August 10
Hollywood star Zoe Saldana received a Special Honorary Pardo at the 79th edition of the Locarno Film Festival, celebrating her extraordinary journey that has left a mark on contemporary cinema.
The Oscar-winning actor, while addressing the audience at the festival, teased her wish to step into direction.
"I have a feeling that I can only watch other people's direction for so long until I kind of say: 'Give me that camera!' Because women, we all think that we're right because we are half the time. So I would like to prove myself," Saldana said at the festival held in Switzerland, as quoted by Variety.
At the moment, Zoe Saldana opened up on a range of topics, including her journey and forthcoming career plans.
"It was quite difficult for us to be torn from a New York kind of culture where you get to meet the world in your block. That's rich to grow up in a culture like that. And then I went to a small island where it's very homogenous and it's one religion, one form of being, and though the growing pains were big, so was the growth," she said, recalling her childhood.
Saldana also spoke about her 'Avatar' filmmaker, further expressing anticipation to work on a fourth instalment.
"This man's storytelling spoke to me when I was 7 years old. I knew that when he wrote and conceived 'The Terminator,' that he was tapping into something incredibly human and foreseeable, and I was &. The purpose that he gave a woman like Sarah Connor, at my tender age of 7, spoke volumes to me, and I wanted to be her," she said.
Zoe Saldana also suggested that she hopes to develop a family drama based in the post-war era.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Honestly, I think this recognition is well-deserved. From 'Avatar' to 'Guardians of the Galaxy,' she has played iconic roles across genres. Her comment about directing and "women think we're right" is refreshingly honest—not arrogant, just confident. As someone who loves both Hollywood and Indian cinema, I hope she directs something meaningful with diverse stories. Would be great to see her explore Indian themes too!
Zoe Saldana is a powerhouse, no doubt. But it's interesting how global festivals like Locarno still dominate the narrative. We have incredible regional cinema in India—Malayalam, Tamil, Bengali—that deserves such honors too. Still, congratulations to her for the achievement! Hope she does come up with that family drama post-war. Needs to be more inclusive, maybe? Just my two cents. 🤔
What a beautiful reflection on her childhood! I relate so much to what she said about growing up in a diverse NYC block and then moving to a homogeneous island. That kind of culture shock forces you to grow, as she said. Her respect for James Cameron is touching too—'Terminator' inspired so many of us. Can't wait to see her directorial debut! 🙌
While I appreciate her talent, I wonder if this honor is also a PR move. There's a lot of hype around the Oscars and such awards, but what about actual content? I'm not taking anything away from her work, but we in India have filmmakers who create epic cinema without European festival validation. Still, good luck to her for the directing venture. Let's see if she proves herself beyond the hype.
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