Canadian rocker Neil Young, in Berlin with his new concert movie, says music cannot change the world.

"I think that the time when music could change the world is past," the 62-year-old musician told a news conference on Friday.

Canadian singer-songwriter Neil Young, in Berlin to promote his concert movie 'CSNY Déjà vu,' says the goal of the film 'was to stimulate debate among people.'
(Markus Schreiber/Associated Press)

"I think it would be very naive to think that in this day and age."

Young is at the Berlin International Film Festival with CSNY Déjà vu, shot during the 2006 Freedom of Speech tour by Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.

"It's time for science and physics and spirituality to make a difference in this world and to try to save the planet."

Young said despite his pessimistic view of the power of music, he wanted the tour to be a force for change.

He called his fellow band members before the tour and told them: "This is all I'm going to do: I won't be doing anything else and I don't want to sing any ... pretty songs; we can only sing about war and politics and the human condition."

Iraq war same as Vietnam War

CSNY Déjà vu weaves footage from the tour, which included performances from Young's Living With War album, with archive and television news material.

"The goal was to stimulate debate among people, and I hope that to some degree the film succeeds in doing that."

Young is a staunch critic of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. According to him, the war in Iraq is the same as the U.S. war in Vietnam.

"It's a wrong way to solve a problem.... We just don't have to go and spread democracy around the world."

Young did have one good thing to say about U.S. President George W. Bush: "He is a very good physical specimen."

The iconic rocker, who directed the film under the pseudonym Bernard Shakey, included interviews with critics and soldiers who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and who do not support Young's view.

"Otherwise, I thought it would just feel like a bunch of old hippies. And nobody would care. I would not."

CSNY Déjà vu is screening in the Berlinale Special section of the film festival, which includes Martin Scorsese's Rolling Stones concert movie Shine a Light as well as Madonna's directorial debut, Filth and Wisdom.

The 58th edition of the Berlin International Film Festival ends Feb. 17.

With files from the Associated Press