Protest against Ukraine war
Cannes Film Festival bans this year’s participation of Russian delegates
Numerous celebrities are expected at the Cannes Film Festival this year
© Thibault Camus/DPA
The international film festival in Cannes decides consequences for Russian delegates. The invitation was announced in an official statement.
The 75th Cannes Film Festival will take place from May 17th to 28th this year. Not so for Russian delegates. With a letter to the public, in which the origin of the film event is recalled, the organizers support the victims of Ukraine.
“As the world is gripped by a serious crisis where part of Europe is in a state of war, the Festival de Cannes would like to express all its support for the people of Ukraine and everyone who is on their territory. So humble Be that as it may, we join our voices with those who oppose this unacceptable situation and who denounce the attitude of Russia and its leaders.Our thoughts go especially to Ukrainian artists and film industry professionals and their families, whose lives are now in danger. There are those we never met and those we met and welcomed to Cannes, who came with works that say a lot about Ukraine’s history and present,” the festival committee said on their Tuesday afternoon home page with.
Many high-ranking celebrities take part in the Cannes Film Awards every year. Aside from showing solidarity towards Ukraine, it is certainly also a necessary step so that the actors will not cancel their participation in the awards ceremony because Russian delegates would have taken part. The statement also states that preparations for the Festival de Cannes and the Marché du Film have already begun. The film festival management has clear expectations of Russia: “Unless the war of aggression ends under conditions that satisfy the Ukrainian people, it has been decided that we will neither welcome official Russian delegations nor accept the presence of persons associated with the Russian government keep in touch.”
Cannes film festival emphasizes recognition of anti-government Russian filmmakers
The organizers also make it clear that those who stand up against the Russian regime should not suffer from this decision: “However, we would like to recognize the courage of all those in Russia who took risks to stand up against the attack and invasion of Ukraine protest. Among them are artists and filmmakers who have never stopped fighting against the current regime. People who cannot be linked to these intolerable actions, like those who are bombing Ukraine.”
The first Cannes Film Festival was scheduled to start on September 1, 1939 and was canceled due to the invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany. “We remain true to our history, which began in 1939 with the resistance against the fascist Nazi dictatorship,” emphasized the festival.
According to festival director Thierry Frémaux, the selection of films has only just begun. So far, no Russian or Ukrainian films have been viewed. One of the frequently invited filmmakers is the Ukrainian director Sergei Loznitsa, who made a documentary about the Babyn Yar massacre last year. SS commandos had killed up to 100,000 people there. Russian bombs fell near the memorial this week.
Source: festival-cannes.comdpa