Sundance: Kristen Stewart’s Co-Star Gets Political at Gitmo Drama Premiere

PARK CITY, Utah — The Sundance premiere of Kristen Stewart-starrer Camp X-Ray got political during a Q&A at the Eccles Theatre on Friday afternoon.

Stewart’s co-star Lane Garrison said the experience of making the movie changed him and the way he views the Guantanamo Bay prison that the film depicts.

“Before I did this movie, I thought everyone down [in Guantanamo Bay] was responsible for 9/11,” Garrison said onstage after the film made its Sundance premiere. “After this film, I started asking questions. There are still 170 men down there that no country wants. What if one guy down there is innocent and is not a terrorist?”

Garrison’s comments drew hearty applause from the packed audience that included a number of would-be distributors assessing the Peter Sattler-helmed film for the first time, including Strand Releasing and Roadside Attractions.

“It made me start asking questions,” Garrison continued. “I hope this film does that for others.”

Stewart also participated in the Q&A but kept her comments more focused on her character. She said she met with military people and “watched a lot documentaries to prepare” for the role.

Stewart and Garrison play Gitmo prison guards who are tasked with keeping the detainees from killing themselves or forgoing eating.

Payman Maadi, who starred in the 2012 Oscar-winning foreign film A Separation, also stars.

Email: Tatiana.Siegel@THR.com
Twitter: @TatianaSiegel27

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