The Creator has a strange tie to the Russo-Ukrainian war, says director

The Creator“The latest film by” Rogue One director Gareth Edwards, takes a strong stance against war and America’s worldwide interventionism in particular, pointing out its human cost. Edwards says that the movie has anti-war images and messages, but it was also connected to a real war during filming.

Edwards revealed in an interview with Polygon that filming for the movie and the actual Russo Ukrainian conflict intersected. This was a real war of aggression where Russia invaded Ukraine to try to seize Ukrainian land it claims. What’s particularly surprising, though, is the timing, considering who Edwards had just brought on the movie as extras.

Edwards said that during the tank sequence toward the middle of the movie, the production needed extras who could stand in for the movie’s American soldiers — not an easy thing to find in Thailand during the COVID-19 pandemic.

20th Century Pictures

“We found this expat community of Russian and Ukrainian people,” Edwards said. “They were all working together on the same team as soldiers. It was also the day that we began filming our tank invasion sequence. [that]Tanks were deployed in Ukraine. It was really strange. We were looking at it on our phones, and then had to go and shoot this tank sequence with Ukrainian and Russian guys.”

Thankfully, there wasn’t any tension between the extras on set. Edwards believes that this odd coincidence was a great example of the argument he is making in his film about war.

“What was really interesting and very heartwarming, and I think speaks to what the movie is trying to reveal, is that the Ukrainian and Russian guys during the breaks were all chatting to each other and laughing and being very friendly,” Edwards said. “The second you’re actually with people, you know, you realize we’re all the same.”

The CreatorNow in theatres.