The Ministry of Foreign Affairs protested against the film about Russians at the Venice Film Festival and appealed to the organizers: letter

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ukraine condemns the premiere of the pro-Russian film "Russians at War" at the Venice Film Festival. The ministry noted that the screening of this film is offensive to the victims of the war unleashed by Russia on Ukrainian soil.

This was reported on the official Facebook page of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The ministry also emphasized that the film is a tool of Russian propaganda that distorts the reality of Russian aggression.

"We demand to stop attempts to provide Russia with an international cultural stage, which Russia uses to whitewash its crimes. Russian soldiers who commit atrocities in Ukraine should not be speaking at prestigious film festivals, but in the dock," the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said.

In a letter sent by Ukraine's Ambassador to Italy Yaroslav Melnyk to the President of the Venice Biennale Pierpaolo Buttafoco, he emphasizes the inadmissibility of showing the film in the context of the war that Russia is waging against Ukraine.

"We are shocked by the decision of the Venice Film Festival jury to select the film Russians at War by Russian-Canadian director Anastasia Trofimova for the out-of-competition program. We consider this choice to be inappropriate and offensive to the Ukrainian people," the letter reads.

The ambassador emphasizes that the film "Russians at War" shows sympathy for the aggressor, despite the thousands of Ukrainians killed and millions injured by Russian troops. The film tries to emphasize the "humanity of the killers" by putting the aggressor and the victim on the same level.

The Consulate General of Ukraine in Toronto has also appealed to the organizers of the Toronto International Film Festival to cancel the screening of this film.

Earlier it was reported that after the premiere of the Russian documentary "Russians at War" at the 81st Venice Film Festival, for which the Canadian government allocated $340,000, director Anastasia Trofimova plans to show the film in Toronto.

Earlier, OBOZ.UA reported that the Venice Film Festival screened a film-justification of the Russian occupiers, Russians at War. The film "Russians at War" directed by Anastasia Trofimova was created on the basis of material filmed during 7 months of staying with a battalion of the Russian Armed Forces in the temporarily occupied Ukrainian territories.

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