Robert Redford on Sundance, Filmmaking, Power & Purpose (2002) | Film Discussion

Robert Redford joins Charlie Rose for a wide-ranging conversation about a lifetime in art, activism, and storytelling. Speaking during the 20th anniversary of the Sundance Institute (2002), Redford reflects on acting, directing, environmental battles, political disillusionment, and how filmmaking became both a creative outlet and a survival mechanism.

Redford revisits iconic moments from Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting, All the President’s Men, The Candidate, Downhill Racer, Three Days of the Condor, The Natural, A River Runs Through It, Quiz Show, and The Horse Whisperer—and explains why heart, justice, and human truth are the core of every project he chooses.

He discusses the “acorn theory” from James Hillman’s The Soul’s Code, describing how acting prevented a self-destructive spiral in his youth and helped channel restlessness into purpose. Redford talks about growing up rough, resisting acting at first, and ultimately embracing the stage, comedy, and film after Barefoot in the Park.

He also dives deep into the origins of Sundance: why he built it, how community shaped him, and what he sees as the essential mission of supporting independent voices in the face of political power, corporate interests, and cultural conformity. Redford speaks candidly about environmental advocacy, political skepticism, the dangers of concentrated power, and the moral responsibility of artists.

A rare, intimate portrait of an American legend—actor, director, founder, activist—and a masterclass in how to build a creative life grounded in risk, integrity, and imagination.

00:00 Intro – Robert Redford, Artist & Icon
00:38 Clip Montage – 40 Years of Film Roles
02:02 “Proud or Glad?” – Looking Back at a Life’s Work
02:34 Hillman’s “Acorn Theory” & No Choice but Art
03:10 Life-Saving Power of Acting
04:16 Oscars Speech & Seeing History in the Rearview
05:10 The Two Paths: Personal Work & Giving Back
06:16 How Sundance Originated & Evolved
07:18 Accepting Mystery, Change & Creative Instinct
08:31 Being Forced to Reflect at an Older Age
09:04 On Biographies & Wanting to Write in Stories
10:00 Why Acting Saved His Life
11:12 Fighting Against the Edge & Self-Destruction
12:00 Physical Expression vs. Visual Art
12:44 Growing Up Rough & Rebelling Against Acting
13:45 Owning the Reality – “I’m Meant to Do This”
14:26 At Heart, Always an Actor
15:03 Directing for Control, Acting for Heart
16:13 Barefoot in the Park – Getting into Comedy
17:53 Fighting to Be Taken Seriously as a Comic Actor
18:38 First Films & Meeting Sydney Pollack
19:56 Hollywood Frustrations & Moving Abroad
20:52 Producing Downhill Racer & Gaining Creative Control
21:44 The “Trilogy” – Winning in Sports, Politics & Business
23:06 Buffalo Story – Learning How Hollywood Works
24:03 Butch Cassidy: Pure Joy, Bond with Newman
25:06 The Sting – Sleight of Hand & George Roy Hill
26:17 All the President’s Men – Why Redford Chased the Story
27:41 Talking to Reporters, Smelling Something Bigger
29:06 Meeting Woodward & Bernstein
30:36 Clip – All the President’s Men (Magruder Scene)
31:36 Watching Old Films — Rarely
32:02 Directing Montage – Redford’s Films as Director
33:12 Through-Line in His Films: Heart & Humanity
34:14 Taking Risks in Directing vs. Acting
35:54 Fighting Stereotypes & Wanting to Play Villains
37:17 Rasputin, Phantom & Being Told “You Can’t”
38:10 Heroism, Public Perception & Film Choices
39:34 Power, Injustice & Why Redford Speaks Out
41:00 Film as a Tool to Reveal Truth, Not Preach
42:22 Environmental Battles, Hypocrisy & Policy
44:16 Bush, Oil, Public Manipulation & Outrage
46:00 Art, Politics & Using Voice Without Running for Office
47:18 Freedom, Civic Duty & Speaking to the Public
48:31 Environmentalism Born from the Land
49:38 The “River Runs Through It” Philosophy – All Things One
50:37 What It Means to Be an American Artist
52:05 Closing Reflections – 20 Years of Sundance

Film Discussion is a curated interview archive and conversation series presented by Occupy Cinema. We spotlight the minds behind the movies—actors, directors, writers, and cultural critics—through thoughtful interviews, archival footage, and contemporary conversations. From Broadway to global cinema, Film Discussion explores the craft, politics, and impact of storytelling on screen and stage.

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