The aggressor-terrorist country received awards at the Venice Festival

Russian directors were awarded at the 82nd Venice International Film Festival, held amidst the conflict between Russia and Ukraine.

The official festival website released the list of winners. In it, Nastya Korkia’s debut film “Brief Summer” received the “Lion of the Future” award for best debut, and Vladlena Sandu’s film “Memory” won the “Golden Lion” in the “Audience Award” category. They are listed as representatives of other countries.

Discussion of the Wins

The Ukrainian user community is actively expressing dissatisfaction that Ukraine’s State Film Agency did not mention the two Russian directors in their summaries. Meanwhile, the reaction of official structures to the successes of Russian cinema has taken a back seat. The topic of Russian victories in Venice remains practically uncommented, as if their success has become part of the usual festival process.

Journalist Lyudmila Semenyuk noted that the film “Memory” tells the story of a Russian girl’s childhood against the backdrop of war, while “Brief Summer” depicts the life of a Russian child in a “Russian village.” These viewing lines are presented with an emphasis not on the suffering of Ukrainian children, but on the perpetuation of their own emotions. In this context, many questions arise about the choice of films.

Participation of Kirill Zemlyanoy

The only significant reaction from Ukraine was expressed by director Kirill Zemlyanoy, who presented his short film “Unavailable,” created in international cooperation. This work about a volunteer trying to reach his mother in occupied Zaporizhzhia has been excluded from the general news flow, which also raises bewilderment. As a graduate of the Kyiv National University of Theatre and Cinema, Zemlyanoy drew attention to the challenge posed.

Flag of the Russian Federation

At the opening of the Venice Festival, the Russian flag was raised for the first time since 2022, which met with a reaction from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Culture of Ukraine. In a corresponding statement, these departments sharply condemned this gesture, which they qualified as support for the aggressor country. Ukrainian representatives noted that providing Russia with a platform on the international cultural arena amidst its aggressive policy contradicts the spirit of art.

During the same period, the Silver Lion was awarded for a film about a Palestinian girl left alone among the victims of the conflict in Gaza. The film was received with acclaim, causing cheers in the hall and jokes about the inadmissibility of comparing different conflicts. This is mentioned in an engaged analytical work, highlighting the ongoing challenges for perception in the context of modern wars.

Comparison of Conflicts

Semenyuk notes that public reaction to various conflicts is not always adequately defined. Russia’s successes in cinema attract attention only in terms of nominations, not the suffering that is the essence of every war. The question to cultural institutions remains open: can art be separated from reality, where the world undergoes brutal changes?