Emma Watson: "I had never experienced something like the atmosphere of the Women's March"

Translation by Watsonuncensored with the help of Google because I was feeling lazy (translations from Spanish to French/English always take me much more time).

Interview with Cosas.

Like the character who made her famous - Hermione Granger in the saga "Harry Potter" - Emma Watson is independent, opinionated, a voracious reader and a little curious, especially if compared to other Hollywood actresses of her generation. Born in Paris, daughter of two distinguished lawyers who divorced when she was a child, and with six siblings and half siblings born in a family of the "mine, yours and ours," type [note from Eden: reference to the movie?], the actress began filming "Harry Potter" at 9 without abandoning for a moment her ambition to get a good education.

She studied first at two exclusive private schools in Oxford, England, and then at the prestigious Brown University in the United States. "I have been in charge of my own education since I was a child," she explained in interviews. "I always liked the idea that I could organize my own subjects and explore topics that were not necessarily in the academic curriculum. I did, for example, an independent study on psychology and the philosophy of why we fell in love. It was incredible!".

Although she has managed to stay away from the tabloid headlines, her personal style has made her one of the favorite actresses in fashion magazines and her sentimental life has created occasional interest. For her, however, these are just distractions. Her true passions are work and her humanitarian work for, above all, the education of girls and the rights of women. As a result, she actively participated in the women's march in Washington the day after the oath of President Donald Trump, protesting the president's treatment and policies toward women and their interests. When we met with her in Los Angeles shortly after the release of her latest film, Disney's hugely successful megaproduction "Beauty and the Beast," she told us that her role as a United Nations ambassador for women was possibly the greatest honor of her life.

One does not have to be very perceptive to realize that Belle, the protagonist of "Beauty and the Beast", and Emma have many similarities.

"This movie flirts with the Stockholm syndrome, doesn't it?"

-The definition of Stockholm syndrome in the dictionary refers to people who begin to acquire the characteristics and adopt the opinions of their captors; when they no longer want to be rescued. That is not what happens to Belle. She keeps her independence of thought and argues with the Beast about everything. She wants to return to see her father and tries to escape continuously. These are not the characteristics of someone with the Stockholm syndrome.

"Belle falls in love with the Beast. Do you think you could fall in love with someone horrible, even if they have a heart of gold?

-Yes absolutely. I think, of course, that there is an initial reaction, a chemistry that makes a person attractive or beautiful, but that does not last long. I think what really keeps you interested are the values ​​you can share, the conversations you can keep, and the other person's ability to teach you things about yourself and the world. The way the other person makes you feel. And I believe that love can transcend physical appearance.

-Many ask how Belle can fall in love with a beast, but I think the most interesting question is how to get rid of someone unpleasant like Gaston's character ...

"I love the way Belle explains to Gaston that she's not interested in him. She manages to be incredibly polite and careful, but at the same time totally honest. I think that's the key. It is very easy, when you try not to hurt someone's feelings, to avoid confrontation. Here she explains that they are tremendously different and she would never marry someone like him, but she does it in a way that does not feel insulting. Frankly, all women should decide for themselves how to respond to a man's advance, especially if such advances are not welcome.

"How would you describe your prince?"

-Oh God! I think one of the things I love about the Beast in our story is that it explores what makes us human because he's part beast. In the final scene, during his fight with Gaston, he decides not to kill him, but instead, save him, and that's one reason why she falls in love with him. I also believe that his decision to leave Belle free and sacrifice his own well-being shows what true love is: worrying about the other as much or more than about oneself. It's not an easy thing, but it's an incredible quality.

"You and your mother participated in the women's march in Washington earlier this year. Was it your first march?

"Yes, it was the first for me and the first for my mother, too. It was very special. She called me and asked when we would make flight reservations to Washington. I did not know what she meant. This was in the early days of the organization, and I was moved that she was willing to fly with me from England to be part of something like that. The atmosphere on the march was something I had never experienced in my life. On one hand, we felt that we were doing something extraordinarily serious and, of course, there was an important message that we wanted to spread, but on the other hand, everything felt very cheerful and positive, illuminating the things we believe in. They can not diminish us when we are so strong. It was wonderful.

"When you see photos of Melania and Donald Trump, do you see a Beauty and a Beast?"

"Oh! I do not know ... I never thought of it that way.

"Do you understand the women who voted for Trump?"

-The United States is a huge country, with a huge diversity of ideas and points of view. My opinion has to do with specific policies. I am very sad to see Planned Parenthood lose its funding, for example. The global 'gag' rule (which prevents US funds from being given to international organizations that practice or advise abortions) goes against women's rights and international policies. Those are things I have very strong feelings about. We'll see what happens ...

-As a spiritual or religious person, does it bother you when someone uses religion as an excuse not to see "Beauty and the Beast" because they have a gay character?

"Before anything else, I must say I do not think anything like that has happened yet. I think the film represents the diversity of any society and that is important. It is vital to represent the whole world. The other thing I would say, is that they should see the movie and only there form an opinion. I think a lot of what has been written about it has been written by people who have not seen the movie. See it and draw your own conclusions.

"A woman in Alabama said she would not show the movie in her movie theater because she's a Christian and has a granddaughter who would not approve of it."

"I would suggest that she sees it before shes makes that decision."

"How much influence did you have in creating the character of Belle?"

"This was very important to me, because I felt I had a responsibility to my younger self. I know that seeing Belle animated on the screen affected the way I saw myself as a girl, and felt the responsibility of defending the DNA of this progressive woman, who is not a princess who dreams of marrying a prince and who seeks to build her own destiny. I gave little things to the script, like the inventor's role, which in the original movie was her father's, belongs to her now. I felt that it was important that she had a vocation and interests prior to her arrival at the castle and her encounter with the Beast. I love that she is an activist in her own community, doing things like teaching another girl to read on the street. As we were creating these stories, I realized that my intention was to defend the original character. There was nothing to do to improve Belle, we just wanted to keep her pure.

"Can you tell us something about your role as United Nations ambassador for women?"

"It's one of the great honors of my life. It was an incredible opportunity, and I did not take it lightly. I do not want to be simply a figure in that sense, a face. I want this work to be part of my life.