American director Woody Allen participated in the “Legends of World Cinema” session of the Moscow International Film Week via video link on August 24.
He admitted that he loves Russian cinema and has warm feelings for Moscow and St. Petersburg.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry condemned the 89-year-old director’s participation in the event, calling it a disgrace.
“This is a disgrace and an insult to the memory of Ukrainian actors and filmmakers who were killed or injured by Russian war criminals during Russia’s aggression against Ukraine,” the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
According to the ministry, Woody Allen, by participating in the festival, “is knowingly turning a blind eye to the atrocities committed by Russia in Ukraine for 11 years.”
The director has denied these allegations, saying that he “doesn’t think that stopping creative dialogue is a good thing.”
In a comment to the British newspaper The Guardian, Allen said: “When it comes to the conflict in Ukraine, I strongly believe that Vladimir Putin is absolutely wrong. The war he has unleashed is terrible. But no matter what politicians do, I don’t think stopping creative dialogue is a good thing.”
