Enemy’s films dehumanise us, say Ukrainians at Cannes

UKRAINIAN movie bosses have demanded a boycott of Russia at the Cannes Film Festival and planned a conference on “cancelling Russian culture”.

The French festival had announced a ban on delegates linked to Vladimir Putin’s regime, but has named a Russian film in its official competition. It has also permitted Russian media professionals to attend marketing events.

Delegates of the Ukrainian State Film Agency (USFA) demanded the Russian production be excluded.

A conference on how the “Russian film industry was instrumental in dehumanising Ukrainians” will be held at the US delegation’s pavilion.

Ukrainian representatives have written to Cannes organisers insisting on a ban of Russia’s only film in the festival, Tchaikovsky’s Wife by Kirill Serebrennikov. The Ukrainian delegation, led by Maryna Kuderchuk, the head of USFA, said: “Ukraine is a symbol of freedom and courage for the whole world. Culture can’t stand aside, as it is used as a formidable soft-power weapon.”

The delegation will show “examples of Ukrainophobic xenophobia in Russian movies”. It will argue that Russia’s “colonial dehumanisation played a significant role in preparing the mindset for the destruction of cities and war crimes”.

While Serebrennikov is described as a Russian “dissident”, and was placed under house arrest over dubious tax offences, Ukraine’s film authorities have objected to exceptions being made for any Russian productions.

Volodymyr Zelensky, Ukraine’s president, made a video address last night at the festval’s opening ceremony. “In the end, hatred will disappear and dictators will die,” he told the audience.