The Cannes Film Festival is pretty serious about displaying its dismay and anger over Russian invasion of Ukraine, a war that has now gone on for several weeks.
After saying no to Russian movies, the Festival has now refused accreditation to the country’s journalists. This, though, comes with a rider. The denial is confined to those Russian publications that do not see eye-to-eye with Cannes’ stand on the war.
This means that it is not a blanket ban. It will apply to those who support Russian President Vladimir Putin regime’s war.
So, we would have Russian director Kirill Serebrennikov’s latest feature, a historical drama, Tchaikovsky’s Wife, competing for the top Palm d’Or. He is a known dissident who has opposed Putin’s policies, and had been under house arrest before fleeing the country early this year.
“We would like to salute the courage of all those in Russia who have taken risks to protest against the assault and invasion of Ukraine,” a Festival statement said. “Among them are artists and film professionals who have never ceased to fight against the contemporary regime, who cannot be associated with these unbearable actions, and those who are bombing Ukraine.”
In recent days, Moscow has come down heavily on journalists, and a new, harsh censorship law makes it a crime to describe Russian military attacks on Ukraine as “war”.
The 75th anniversary of the Festival, which runs from May 17 to 28, said early this year: “As the world has fallen into a grave crisis and sees part of Europe in a state of war, the Cannes Film Festival would like to express its support to the Ukrainian people and to all those who are currently in Ukraine.
“As modest as it can be, we are joining all those who are opposing this unacceptable situation and are denouncing the stance of Russia and its leaders. We have a particular thought for the artists and professionals within the Ukrainian movie world, as with their families whose lives are now in danger.”
Therefore, the Festival had averred that it will not welcome official Russian delegations and “will not accept even the smallest presence of any institution linked to the Russian Government.”
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