Actress Meryl Streep sparked much social-media discussion following her remarks ahead of the Berlin Film Festival during which she said at one point, "We're all Africans."
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Twitter responded swiftly:
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Her comments were part of a broader point. Reports Variety:
"Berlin has a reputation for being a politically minded festival, and Streep did not shy away from promoting an agenda of equality and inclusion. "(Equality) of genders, races, ethnicities, religion," she opined. "This jury is also evidence that women are included and can even dominate – that is unusual in bodies that make decisions."
When asked if she understood films from the Arab world and North Africa, Streep said: "There is a core of humanity that travels right through every culture, and after all we're all from Africa originally," adding, "We're all Africans, we're all Berliners," in reference to John F. Kennedy's famous "Ich bin ein Berliner" speech."