American director Woody Allen responded to criticism from the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs over his participation in the Moscow International Film Week. In an interview with The Guardian, Allen stated that he firmly believes Vladimir Putin is completely wrong in the conflict in Ukraine, emphasizing the horrific nature of the war he initiated. However, Allen argued that he does not think halting artistic discussions is a constructive way to address the conflict. “I am firmly convinced that the war Putin started is horrific. But I don’t think that stopping artistic conversations is a good way to help,” he said, reports Baltimore Chronicle, citing The Guardian.
As reported by Russian media, on August 24, Allen participated in a video conference during the Moscow International Film Week, where he discussed the future of cinema in the context of artificial intelligence development. He also shared his longstanding admiration for Russian cinema. The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned Allen’s participation, calling it “a disgrace and an insult to the Ukrainian actors and filmmakers who were killed or wounded by Russian war criminals during Russia’s aggression against Ukraine.”
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