"Russia has become wonderful," Ukraine denounces Woody Allen's participation in a Russian festival
The American director's video conference during Moscow Film Week was strongly criticized by the Ukrainian foreign minister.
Ukraine on Monday, August 25, denounced the videoconference participation of the famous American director Woody Allen in a Moscow film festival , considering it an "insult" to the victims of the Russian invasion . The 89-year-old filmmaker, ostracized by parts of the American film industry since he was accused of sexually assaulting his adopted daughter , spoke on Sunday during an online event of the Moscow International Film Week.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said his participation was "a disgrace and an insult to the sacrifice of Ukrainian actors and filmmakers who were killed or injured by Russian war criminals ." Woody Allen "chooses to turn a blind eye to the atrocities Russia is committing in Ukraine," the ministry said, adding that culture should never "be used to whitewash crimes."
Skip the adUkraine, which Russia attacked in February 2022, is demanding the complete isolation of the aggressor country on the international stage, including in the fields of culture and sport. Kyiv systematically denounces the participation of Western figures in events in Russia, which, however, remain rare since the beginning of the war.
The conference, which Allen attended, was organized by Russian director Fyodor Bondarchuk, a supporter of President Vladimir Putin . At the session, Allen said he would consider filming in Russia if offered, according to the state news agency Ria Novosti . "If such offers existed, I would sit down and think about a script about how good it is to be in Moscow and St. Petersburg," he said.
According to Ria Novosti , Woody Allen spoke of a "not very pleasant" trip to the time of the Soviet Union , adding that since then "everything has changed, Russia has become wonderful." Woody Allen, a master of comedy and social satire, hardly ever films in the United States anymore. He has seen almost the entire industry turn its back on him in America since his adopted daughter, Dylan Farrow, accused him of sexually assaulting her when she was a child.
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