How do you separate the art from the artist?

Just finished watching Anora which I throughly enjoyed (along with a lot of other films by Sean Baker), but have come to learn he’s a massive Zionist with questionable politics.

It has had me look at his work with a different lens as he says that “his politics” is evident in a lot of his work. Makes me wonder whether his films can be deemed exploitative of marginalized communities or whether he actually cares about the people he makes movies of.

I remember feeling similar when I came across the sexual abuse and plagiarism allegations for Abbas Kiarostami….haven’t been able to rewatch any of his films since. It’s weird since I hold his films very close to my heart…especially close-up.