Viennale 2007 was opened with an address by Jane Fonda at the festival’s main theater where Klute was screened. Nine of her other films were shown in a program to pay tribute to her. During 50 years of her film career, Jane Fonda has appeared in 39 films. Her first film was made in 1960 and the latest one in 2007. Ten of those films were screened in the program: Cat Ballou (Elliot Silverstein, 1965), Barefoot in the Park (Gene Saks, 1967), Barbarella (Roger Vadim, 1968), They Shoot Horses, Don’t They? (Sidney Pollack, 1969), Klute (Alan J. Pakula, 1971), Tout Va Bien (Jean-Luc Godard, 1972), Introduction to the Enemy (Haskel Wexler, 1974), Julia (Fred Zinnemann, 1977), Coming Home (Hal Ashby, 1978) and On Golden Pond (Mark Rydell, 1981). Her press conference was held at the Hilton’s conference hall where she patiently answered questions with a pleasant smile and a piercing gaze. What follows is a combination of the news conference and questions asked in an exclusive interview. 

Jane Fonda was a well-known activist campaigning against the Vietnam War. Her name is associated with the war. Maybe that was why the first question at the press conference was about the occupation of Iraq. Fonda was accused of treason against her country by American right-wingers after she visited Vietnam. She says: “The current government is more intelligent and knows how to impress the people. Today’s people are more patriotic following the 9/11. Today many, including those who go to war, know that going to war is wrong. Many of them did not have the opportunity to go to the university. Some are in difficult financial situations. Although I was against the war in Iraq, I had stepped aside because the right-wingers had labeled me as one who carries the Red flag. But finally, I took part in the anti-war demonstrations.”
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