( CNN ) -- The music of Woodstock was a draw that attracted hundreds of thousands of people to the festival . Similarly , the name of Ang Lee is a draw that attracted a number of actors to his new film , `` Taking Woodstock . '' From left , `` Taking Woodstock 's '' Emile Hirsch , director Ang Lee and Demetri Martin at the movie 's premiere . `` Taking Woodstock , '' which is out August 28 , features performers who were either not born or very young when the monumental festival occurred in 1969 , but many were enticed to join the movie because of Lee 's involvement . `` I 'd read the Sunday paper for Ang Lee . I 'd do anything . He 's a filmmaker I 've always admired and [ was ] sort of eager to work with , '' said Liev Schreiber , who plays a transvestite . `` So when he approached me , you know : Dress , shmess , I 'll do whatever you want . '' Lee 's work , which includes the renowned films `` Crouching Tiger , Hidden Dragon '' and `` Brokeback Mountain , '' has garnered him three Oscar nominations . The lighthearted `` Taking Woodstock '' is a mild departure for a man whose films tend toward serious drama . The film 's plot concerns Elliot Tiber ( Demetri Martin ) , son of the owners of a fading Catskills hotel , who helped attract the Woodstock festival to the area . It 's based on Tiber 's memoir . The film also stars Emile Hirsch , Jonathan Groff and Eugene Levy . The 36-year-old Martin , who is best known for his standup , his contributions to `` The Daily Show '' and hosting `` Important Things with Demetri Martin , '' might have benefited the most from working with Lee . `` Taking Woodstock '' is his first film as star , and he 's made only a handful of others . `` Ang is not really going to hold your hand and reassure you through the whole thing . He 's going to be more like a sensei , kind of a tough-love thing , '' Martin said . `` He 's like , 'Punch this wall , ' and you 'll be like , 'Why ? ' and he 's like , 'Punch the wall , and do it . ' `` And then it 's like , 'Oh , good performance , great . I 'm glad I punched the wall , ' and you do n't understand , but it 's really a lesson in trust , '' he added . Jonathan Groff also came to `` Taking Woodstock '' with limited big-screen experience and was excited to work with Lee . `` He 's your fearless leader . He 's everything that you want to be when you grow up , '' Groff said . Woodstock may have been 40 years ago , but it 's recent enough that a number of the principals are still alive . Groff had the opportunity to meet Woodstock co-founder Michael Lang , whom he plays in the movie . Lang opened his memories to Groff and also visited the set . `` He came to the first day on set , and that was a little nerve-wracking , but it then became comforting because as we would be between takes he would , you know , be giving you a little thumbs-up , '' Groff recalled . `` I 'm sure it must have been a little out-of-body . I mean , I ca n't imagine watching someone playing me in a movie , from 40 years earlier . '' The 24-year-old Groff thinks Woodstock resonates today . `` Coming from my generation and looking back and seeing such innocence and seeing such passion and seeing such faith in each other , and the ability to come together and actually make something huge happen , is really inspiring , '' he said . Although there have n't been similar watershed events since , Schreiber and Groff said that the most similar event could be the 2008 election campaign , during which many young people rallied behind Barack Obama . `` Well , I got ta say that there is an air of optimism and potential in the election of Barack Obama , '' Schreiber said . `` I certainly feel a return to that sense of optimism and patriotism that I think people felt at perhaps the election of Kennedy and the beginning of the civil right 's movement in America and the sexual revolution . ... It did feel somewhat timely . '' The movie also tested Hirsch 's and Schreiber personal boundaries : In addition to Schreiber 's dress , Hirsch was naked for one scene . `` It was n't just photographed . I was filmed ! '' Hirsch said . `` What was fun about it is it was kind of like this liberating [ situation ] , but that 's what Woodstock was . '' As for Schreiber , when his children saw him in a dress , they were `` terrified , '' and his partner , actress Naomi Watts , was `` pretty mortified . '' `` I think that was sort of the point . I think the message is one of acceptance , '' Schreiber said . Scaring the kids is one thing , but what about wearing the dress on the set in front of the cast and crew ? `` It was exhilaratingly humiliating , '' Schreiber said . `` I think that 's generally how men feel when they put on dresses . That 's why they do it so often . '' CNN 's Katie Walmsley contributed to this story .
` Taking Woodstock '' stars Woodstock , Eugene Levy and Eugene Levy . The film tells the story of how Woodstock festival came to fruition . The actors said election of Barack Obama shares similiarities with Woodstock . ` `` Taking Woodstock '' is due out 40 years earlier .