Demi Moore on the U.S. Election: ‘America Is Built on Puritans, Religious Fanatics and Criminals’

While visiting Paris to present the French premiere of “ The Substance ” and receive a career tribute at the French Cinematheque , Demi Moore linked Coralie Fargeat ‘s bold body horror film to the themes undergirding the U.S. electoral nail-biter now occupying everyone’s minds.

“America is built on Puritans, religious fanatics and criminals,” she said from the stage of the French Cinematheque on Tuesday. “[And] you’re kind of seeing [as much] in our election right now.” Indeed, the Hollywood icon made a distinction between the European sensibility that informed “The Substance” and the pervading mentality that the movie has tried to subvert.

“Sexuality is always taboo,” she continued. “And there’s a lot of fear in America around the body. That’s something I’ve never understood or related to.

I’ve certainly stirred the pot in a few of the films I’ve chosen, which is partly because [I’ve never understood that fear] of the body. It never made sense why we can celebrate the body in art, but fear it in cinema.” With their critical and box-office hit, Moore and “The Substance” writer-director Fargeat sought to shatter those taboos by casting them into stark, florescent light.

“When we choose to hide ourselves, when we fear being seen, we create isolation,” said Moore. “And that creates loneliness. There is greater liberation when you are willing to allow others to see you in all the parts of you, not just the parts that you want th.