Matt Damon Defends Poor Performance of Anti-Fracking Movie

Has taken in less than half of cost to produce

Matt Damon defended his new anti-fracking feature, Berlin film festival contender "Promised Land", Friday against poor reviews and ticket sales and said it was getting harder to make "issue movies".

Damon, who co-wrote the script and stars in the picture directed by Gus Van Sant, said he was bewildered by critics who found the story of a natural gas executive wrestling with his conscience implausible and incoherent.

"It didn't get the reception that I would have hoped for but that happens sometimes," he said. "I've had movies bomb worse than this one and then make their money back later."