«We are outraged that the film «Russians at War» is to be screened in Zurich» — MFA

The film Russians at War by Russian director Anastasia Trofimova is set to be screened at the Zurich Film Festival. This sparked outrage from Ukraine’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

«We strongly condemn any attempts to provide Russia with a cultural platform to whitewash its war crimes while Russian troops continue committing atrocities against Ukrainians,» the ministry said in a statement.

We are outraged that @zurichfilmfest is considering screening «Russians at War.»

We strongly condemn any attempts to give Russia a cultural stage on which to whitewash its war crimes, while Russian troops continue to commit atrocities against Ukrainians.#NoStageForRussia pic.twitter.com/Xom3jyxskc

— MFA of Ukraine 🇺🇦 (@MFA_Ukraine) September 18, 2024

Russians at War and Ukraine

To recap, the international film festival included Russians at War in its program, a documentary directed by Trofimova.

«In our opinion, this film cannot be considered Russian propaganda. While we understand the concerns expressed by many, we believe, as do the Venice Film Festival and other international festivals that have also featured the film, that this documentary deserves a place in our selection,» the Zurich festival said in response.

The festival also noted that film is a Canadian-French co-production, created «without the knowledge or involvement of Russian government agencies.»

The festival’s statement emphasized the importance of upholding the right of artists and cultural workers «to freely express fair political commentary and resist censorship.» At the same time, they expressed understanding and empathy for the suffering of the Ukrainian people due to Russia’s illegal invasion.

«While engaging with art created in this politically charged period, we remain guided by the democratic values of freedom of conscience, thought, expression, and peaceful assembly,» the organisers added.

Previously, the Ukrainian State Film Agency condemned the inclusion of this film in the Venice Film Festival lineup. It described the film as «veiled Russian propaganda.»

«This is a film that attempts to portray the aggressors as victims, serving as a dangerous tool for manipulating public opinion and seeking to shift responsibility for crimes committed by the Russian military onto other parties,» the agency’s statement read.

The Ukrainian State Film Agency underscored that it considers «any form of victimisation or justification of aggression and war crimes by a terrorist state to be absolutely unacceptable.»

They further argued that such films distort reality. They undermine the international legal order, and contribute to the spread of disinformation.

The agency called on the Venice Film Festival organisers to reconsider their decision and urged the international film community to join in condemning the film and rejecting any attempt to promote propaganda.

«We urge the Venice Film Festival organisers to exclude this film from their program, as it provides a platform for propaganda that seeks to justify aggression,» the agency concluded.