Connexion
Woody Allen joins Moscow film festival as Russia kills Ukrainian artists
American director Woody Allen joined Russia’s premier film festival via video link this weekend, appearing at the Moscow International Cinema Week as Russian forces continue killing Ukrainian civilians and cultural figures in the ongoing war.
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry delivered a sharp rebuke in response, calling Allen’s participation “whitewashing Russian crimes” and an insult to Ukrainian filmmakers killed or injured in the conflict.
“By taking part in a festival that brings together Putin’s supporters and voices, Allen chooses to turn a blind eye to the atrocities Russia commits in Ukraine every single day for 11 years now,” their statement reads.
The ministry then declared: “Culture should never be used to whitewash crimes or serve as a propaganda tool.”
Allen joined Saturday’s “World Cinema Legends” session, where Russian director Fedor Bondarchuk conducted the interview, according to Russian news agency Afisha Daily.
The conversation revealed Allen’s longstanding connection to Russian culture. He told the audience he had watched the nearly seven-hour Russian film “War and Peace” in a single day and recalled meeting Sergei Bondarchuk, Fedor’s father and the renowned Soviet director, in New York years earlier.
Allen also detailed his three previous visits to Russia. His first trip during Soviet times left him with a “gloomy” impression, but later visits proved more positive.
“We came to St. Petersburg. Went to the ballet, walked through museums, I liked everything. From there we moved to Moscow,” he said.
The conversation took an uncomfortable turn when Bondarchuk asked about potential film projects in Russia. Allen dismissed previous rumors but left the door open:
“If such offers existed, I would sit down and think about what the script could be about how good you feel in Moscow and St. Petersburg.”
The festival also featured other international participants, including Serbian director Emir Kusturica, who has publicly supported Putin’s policies and the military action in Ukraine, and American actor Mark Dacascos, known for roles in “John Wick 3” and “Brotherhood of the Wolf.”
88-year-old Allen, whose career spans over 50 films, has won four Academy Awards from 16 nominations. The director has faced industry scrutiny in recent years following allegations from his adopted daughter Dylan Farrow, who accused him of abuse in 1992.
