Homeless people used to prop up scene in ‘Barbie’ not paid despite ‘woke agenda’, says movie photographer

By Arunava Chakrabarty

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA: The highly anticipated mega-budget movie, Barbie, set to be released later this year, has been accused of filming derelicts in the background of a park scene without paying them a single penny. The drifters were even discussed in the radio chatter on the set about where they were exactly in terms of filming. The extras, however, were paid to dress as destitute to prop up the scene shot at Tongva Park opposite Santa Monica City Hall in California which is quite infamous for problems related to homelessness.

The film starring Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling is scheduled to be released on July 21 and it is expected to become a massive hit. The movie, directed and co-written by Greta Gerwig shows Robbie playing the role of the iconic doll while Gosling plays a character named Ken.

Movie photographer speaks on the issue

“I never saw any of the crew go up to the genuine homeless and offer them money,” an experienced photographer who has been covering movie shoots for 15 years told Daily Mail. “There were up to 20 of them at one time. Some were moved on by the production people, but others were left alone. So those left were kind of moving in an out, walking around, sitting around, doing something.”

The photographer who has not been named, has a scanner to listen to radio chatter while working, continued, “The genuine homeless people were there the whole day, the whole entire shoot which was a couple of weeks ago. Normally, movie production units might pay between $300 and $1,500 to individuals – street vendors or homeless people – whose cooperation they want to either move out of the shot or stay in one place”.

All the scenes seemed forced’

The day started with the 32-year-old actress retaking scenes at a bus stop waiting for Gosling (Ken) before the production shifted to Tongva Park, where her and Gosling’s stunt doubles were shot on inline skates. The director was also present in the park to direct the scene. “They spent pretty much the rest of the day doing establishment shots,” said the photographer. “And as well as the homeless situation, I’d say nearly every kind of woke ideology was peppered into the scenes. Everything you could imagine. Gay couples, female or male, mixed race couples. They would pull other background out and put them in, specifically saying on the radio, ‘we need to make this a little more real world’ or more ‘diverse’. I have been doing this for 15 years and I’ve never seen anything like this before. All the scenes seemed forced.”

Greta Gerwig poses for photos as she promotes the upcoming film

The movie has a ‘sexist’ agenda
Gerwig’s movie is set to tackle a wide range of social issues which prevail in society including feminism and misogyny, but the photographer who has covered a number of shoots for other movies in the LA area, claimed he got the impression the film having an all-out ‘sexist’ agenda.