Politics takes spotlight at Toronto film festival

By Natalie Armstrong and Cameron French

TORONTO (Reuters) - Political and religious conflict and humanitarian crisis were portrayed in several movies at the Toronto film festival on Sunday including "Elizabeth: The Golden Age" that premieres on Sunday night.

Along with that film, acerbic comedians Bill Maher and Larry Charles showed clips of the upcoming documentary "Religulous," which jabs a comedic skewer at mainstream religion. Hollywood star Don Cheadle showed "Darfur Now," a chronicle of six people involved in the conflict in western Sudan in which at least 200,000 people have died.

The movies focus on what organizers of the Toronto International Film Festival have touted as the serious, contemporary edge of many of the movies here -- even "Elizabeth" about England's 16th Century Queen Elizabeth I.

The film stars Cate Blanchett as the queen who dealt with treachery in her court and conflict between Protestants and Catholics during her reign.

Speaking at a news conference, Blanchett said today's leaders could learn to be a little more tolerant.

"The way she navigated the Protestant-Catholic conundrum was pretty incredible," said Blanchett. "She was incredibly religiously tolerant for a time where people weren't."

It is the second time Blanchett has donned the crown of Elizabeth I. The first was in 1998's "Elizabeth," which earned her an Oscar nomination for best actress, and anticipation is running high she may win this time around.

But coming out of the theater, talk was less about Oscar and more about how the movie speaks to today's times as Islamic militants clash with Western countries over ideology.