Theron called for US troops to be sent homeCharlize Theron is the latest Hollywood star to call for US troops to leave Iraq.
The Oscar-winning actress spoke at the Venice Film Festival, where her latest movie, The Valley of Elah, is being premiered.
Based on the true story of a soldier who goes missing on his first weekend back after serving in Iraq and is reported AWOL.
Theron plays Emily Sanders, the detective leading the investigation into his disappearance.
When asked if she had planned a morale-boosting visit to visit troops like fellow actress Scarlett Johansson, Theron replied: “I think it’s great that she’s doing that, but I’d like to see them come home – be looked after, be nurtured.
“Nothing would give me more joy than to see them back in America. They are doing a very, very important job and it’s a dangerous one. Hopefully they can come back and be looked after, that’s the least we can do for them.”
She also urged the US public to open their eyes to what is happening in Iraq and other conflicts around the world.
“In a way it’s really strange now living in America. I realise my generation has kind of slacked a little bit … I don’t know how people get through their lives not knowing. I can’t imagine going through my life like that,” she added.
In The Valley of Elah is written and directed by Paul Haggis, whose last film was the Oscar-winning Crash. Tommy Lee Jones and Susan Sarandon play the missing soldier’s parents, who come to realise their son may have been the victim of foul play and find themselves in a fight with the military to discover the truth.
The film’s title is a Biblical reference to the place in Israel where David battled Goliath.
